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ASSYRIAN DISCOVERIES. 




























. 





























































































































































































ASSYRIAN DISCOVERIES 


AN ACCOUNT OF EXPLORATIONS AND 
DISCOVERIES ON THE SITE OF 
NINEVEH, DURING 
1873 and 1874. 

BY GEORGE SMITH, 

n 7 

OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES, BRITISH MUSEUM, 
AUTHOR OF “ HISTORY OF ASSURBANIPAL,” 

ETC. ETC. 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



LONDON: 

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, LOW AND SEARLE, 

CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 , FLEET STREET. 

1875. 


{All Rights Reserved.) 


I ' c 



CHISWICK TRESS:—PRINTED BY WHITTINGHAM AND WILKINS, 
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE. 






TO 

DR. BIRCH, LL.D. 

KEEPER OP THE DEPARTMENT OP ORIENTAL ANTIQUITIES, 
BRITISH MUSEUM; 

PRESIDENT OP THE SOCIETY OP BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY; 
PRESIDENT OP THE ORIENTAL CONGRESS, 

ETC. ETC. ETC., 

AS A RESPECTFUL TRIBUTE TO HIS LEARNING AND GENIUS, 

THIS WORK 


3$ SDetitcateD 




' 














PREFACE. 


HE following work was written to give in 
a permanent form some account of the 
excavations undertaken in 1873 and 1874 
on the site of Nineveh; and the principal 
o iscoveries which have resulted from these operations. 
7 'he honour of having started this enterprise belongs 
f the proprietors of the “Daily Telegraph” news¬ 
paper, and at the close of the first expedition they 
presented the firman and excavating plant to the 
trustees of the British Museum to facilitate the re¬ 
newal of the work. The second expedition was only 
to take advantage of the remainder of the time allowed 
by the firman, and I was directed to close the ex¬ 
cavations within the period allowed by the concession 
of the Porte. 

I have been working in the territory of the Turkish 
empire, and it is with regret that I have had to 
mention the unsatisfactory conduct of many of its 
agents. I have not made the most of this; I have 





TEE FA OF. 


yiii 

omitted many incidents of bad conduct, and have 
stated those I have mentioned as moderately and 
slightly as possible; but I could not have passed the 
subject over entirely without falsifying my narrative. 
I have not the smallest doubt that in the government 
of Asia the Turks are not alive to their own interests, 
and particularly in the oppressive laws and persecution 
of the Christians. The American missions in Asiatic 
Turkey are doing a noble work in the country, but 
they can only be useful in proportion to the amount 
of official support they receive from England and 
America. 

In the body of my work I have acknowledged the 
assistance I received from several gentlemen, official 
and private, in my expeditions. To these I must add 
the name of M. P4reti4, the French consul at Mosul, 
who was of great assistance to me in my dealings 
with the Turkish officials, and took as much interest 
in my affairs as if I had been a fellow-subject with 
himself. The presence of M. Pereti4 at Mosul, and 
his generous attention to British interests, makes the 
want of a British consul less felt; but it is extremely 
unfortunate that in the wide extent of country be¬ 
tween Aleppo and Baghdad there is not a single 
British representative. 



CONTENTS. 

HAPTER I.—Former Excavations and Disco¬ 
veries in the Valley of the Euphrates and 
Tigris. 

Interest of subject. — Botta’s excavations. — 
Layard’s works.—Bawlinson.—Hormuzd Rassam.—■ 
Loftus.—Decipherment of cuneiform.—Grotefend.—Bawlinson.— 
Behistun text.—Hincks.—Oppert.—Later decipherers . page 1 

Chapter II.—Discoveries from 1866 to 1872. 

Date of Jehu.—Annals of Assurbanipal.—Eclipse, b.c. 763.— 
Pekah.—Hoshea.—Azariah.—Early Elamite conquest.—Reli¬ 
gious calendar.—Sabbaths.—Early Babylonian history.—Chaldean 
account of the deluge.—Offer of the “ Daily Telegraph ” .9 

Chapter III.—From London to Mosul. 

Paris._Marseilles.—Mediterranean.—Palermo.—Etna.—Syra. 

—Smyrna.-—Alexandretta.—Beilan.—Hotels.—Pass of Beilan. 
Afrin. — Rohber. — Aleppo. — Turkish holiday. — Euphrates. — 
Tcharmelek.—Orfa.—American missions.—Christians in Turkey. 

_Varenshaher.—River Khabour.—Nisibin.—Rising of Shammer 

Arabs.— Sofuk.—Abdul Kareem.— Tellibel.—Djezireh.—River 
Tigris.—Khabour.—Zaccho—Mule driver.—Nineveh . . 15 



CONTENTS . 


Chapter IV. —Visit to Babylonia. 

Mosul.—The serai.—Turkish pacha.—French consul.—Inscrip¬ 
tion of Vul-nirari.—Baft.—Nimroud.—Kalah Shergat.—Bocks 
and cave.—Tekrit.—Baghdad.—Col. Herbert.—Babylon.—Babel. 
—Extent of walls.—Kasr.—Hanging gardens.—Birs Nimrud.— 
Seven stages of tower.—Buin of Babylon.—Hymer.—Tel Ibra¬ 
him.—Cutha.—Arab encampment.—Boad to Mosul.—Ervil.—The 
Zab.—The Ghazr.—Ferry . . . . . .46 

Chapter V. —Excavations at Nimroud. 

Toma Shishman.—The mound.—Tower.—Palaces.—History.— 
Temple of Nebo.—South-west palace.—Model of hand.—South¬ 
east palace.—Painted wall.—Winged figures.—Graves.—House 
building.—Arab entertainment.—Close excavations . . 69 


Chapter VI. —Excavations at Kouyunjik. 

Wall of Nineveh.—Northern gate.—The Khosr.—Great gate. 
—Nebbi Yunas.—Kouyunjik.—Palaces.— History.—Capture of 
Nineveh.—Library.—Hammum Ali.—North palace, Kouyunjik.— 
Law tablet. —Deluge fragment. — Discoveries.—Khorsabad. — 
Orders to close.—Syllabary.—Visit to Nimroud . . .86 


Chapter VII. —From Mosul to England. 

Backsheesh.—Mill stream.—Jebel Abjad.—Power of rivers.— 
Deluge mountains.—Stories.—M. Costi and Mr. Kerr.—Desert 

Arabs.—Nisibin.—Wounded Arab.—Orfa.—Abraham’s pool_ 

Castle.—Biradjik.—Aleppo.—Turkish custom-house. —Deceit.— 
Alexandretta.—Antiquities seized.—Their release . . 104 


Chapter VIII.— Second Journey to Mosul. 

Belease of antiquities.—New discoveries.—Syrian robber._ 

Severe winter.—Tcharmelek.—Calali.—Dinasar.—Turkish con¬ 
scription.—Abdul Kareem.—Irregular soldiers.—Nisibin.—Enter¬ 
tainment.—Dancing boy.—Derunah.—Post travelling . 119 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


Chapter IX. —Excavations at Kouyunjik. 

Ali Rahal.—Turkish governor.—Redif Pacha.—New policy.— 
Turkish demands.—Temples.—Curious pottery.—Early palace.— 
Roman bottle.—North palace.—Ruined entrance.—Perfect bilin¬ 
gual tablet.—Inscriptions of Shalmaneser I.—Palace of Senna¬ 
cherib—Entrance.—Library chamber.—Fork.—Historical cylin¬ 
ders. —Difficulties.—Close of work .... 135 


Chapter X. —Return from Assyria. 

Kban Baleos.—Mosul.—Departure.—Severe weather.—Stop¬ 
page.—Tel Adas.—Semil.—Discontent of soldiers.—Want of pay. 
—Durnak.—Crossing the Hazel.—Djezireh.—Circassian guides.— 
Their outrages.—Yarenshaher.—Orfa.—Curiosities.—Biradjik.— 
Antiquities stopped.—Ride to Aleppo.—Difficulties with pacha.— 
Release of boxes.—Embarkation.—Return . . . 153 


Chapter XI. —The Izdubar or Flood Series of Legends. 

Chaldean account of flood.—New portions.—Izdubar.—Probably 
Nimrod.—Antiquity of legends.—Conquests of Izdubar.—His illness. 
—Hasisadra.—The flood.—Erech.—Conquest of Monster.—Zaidu. 
—Heabani.—Humbaba.—Ishtar.—Divine bull.—Death of Hea- 
bani.—Izdubar’s sorrow.—His journey.—The giants.—Hasisadra. 
—Account of deluge.—Building the ark.—The flood.—Mountains 
of Nizir.—The birds.—Translation of patriarch.—Cure of Izdubar. 
—His lament.—Ghost of Heabani.—Comparison with Bible and 
Berosus.—Remarks ....... 165 


Chapter XII. —Early Babylonian Texts. 

Elamite conquest.—Sargon of Akkad.—His birth.—Concealed 
in ark.—Agu.—Temple of Bel.—Prayer for the king.—Dungi 
king of Ur.—Kudurmabuk.—Hammurabi.—Conquest of Babylonia. 
—Early bilingual text.—Turanian writing.—Semitic writing.— 
Riagu.—Text from Kouyunjik.—Kurigalzu.—Merodach Baladan I. 
—Royal grant.—Boundary stone.—Curses . . . 223 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


columns.—Crystal throne.—Crystal vase.—Name of Sennacherib.— 
Lamps.—Lamp feeder.—Assyrian fork.—Glass.—Roman bottle.— 
Glass seal.—Pottery.—-Cypriote style.—Chariot group.—Commerce. 
—Personal ornaments.—Rings.—Beads.—Seals.—Later occupa¬ 
tion of mound.—Destruction of antiquities . . . 428 

Chapter XXIII. —Conclusion. 

Difficulty of work.—Short time.—Good results.—Babylonian 
kings.—Assyrian kings.—New inscriptions.—Uncertainty of chro¬ 
nology.—Assyrian history.—Jewish history. — Pul.—New light on 
the Bible.—Origin of Babylonian civilization.—Turanian race.— 
Semitic conquest.—Flood legends.—Mythology. —Connection with 
Grecian mythology.—Astronomy.—Architecture.—Importance of 
future excavations . . . . . . .437 







LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



AP, Frontispiece. 

2. Side of portal excavated by M. Potta at Khorsabad, 


to face p. 2. 

3. Black obelisk,discovered by Layard at Nimroud, 10. 

4. View of Nimroud, 49. 


5. Terra-cotta winged figure, 78. 

6. Photograph of figure of warrior on painted brick from south-east 

palace, Nimroud, to face p. 80. 

7. Plan of site of Nineveh, to face p. 86. 

8. The Jebel Djudi, or Deluge mountains, to face p. 108. 

9. Yiew of bay of Alexandretta from Beilan, 116. 

10. Bronze lamp, 140. 

11. Pottery from Kouyunjik, 141. 

12. Procession of warriors, 142. 

13. Homan bottle, 143. 

14. Terra-cotta vase, 146. 

15. Bronze fork, 147. 

16. Bone spoon, 147. 

17. Dead buffalo in water, 148. 

18. Photograph of marble model of winged bull, to face p. 174. 

19. Emblems of the gods on stone of Merodach Baladan I., to face 

p. 236. 

20. Head from statue of the goddess Ishtar, from her temple, 

Kouyunjik, 248. 






XVI 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 


21. Photograph of lintel of doorway, great court of Sennacherib’s 

palace, to face p. 308. 

22. Photograph of terra-cotta bilingual tablet, to face p. 392. 

23. Object with Cypriote characters, 423. 

24. Model of hand found in wall, 429. 

25. Bronze throne, discovered by Layard at Nimroud, 432. 

26. Terra-cotta lamp, 433. 

27. Terra-cotta lamp feeder, 433. 

28. Bronze bracket, 434. 

29. Bronze style, 434. 





ASSYRIAN EXPLORATIONS AND 
DISCOVERIES. 

Chapter I. 

FORMER EXCAVATIONS AND DISCOVERIES IN 
THE VALLEY OF THE EUPHRATES 
AND TIGRIS. 

Interest of subject.—Botta’s excavations.—Layard’s works.— 
Rawlinson.—Hormnzd Rassam.—Loftus.—Decipherment of 
cuneiform.—Grotefend.—Rawlinson.—Behistun text.—Hincks. 
—Oppert.—Later decipherers. 

HE interest attaching to the valley of the 
Euphrates and Tigris is of the widest 
kind; and, excepting the land of Pales¬ 
tine, no other part of the globe can com¬ 
pare with it in the importance of its traditions, its 
history, and its monuments. 

It is the home of man’s earliest traditions, the 
place where Eden was supposed to have been ; some 
of its cities are stated to be older than the Flood; it 
is the land of the Deluge and of the tower of Babel, 
and it is the birthplace of the great race of Israel 



B 





2 


FOBMEB EXCAVATIONS 


which has played so important a part in the religious 
history of the world. 

In Babylonia arose the first civilized state, and its 
arts and sciences became the parents of those of the 
Greeks, and through them also of our own. 

Watered by two of the noblest rivers in the world, 
on each of these stood a great capital, Babylon on 
the Euphrates, Nineveh on the Tigris; cities which 
in the earlier period of history were unrivalled, and 
which even in their ruins have attracted the attention 
of travellers in all ages, from the time of their over¬ 
throw until now. M. Botta, who was appointed 
French consul at Mosul in 1842, was the first to 
commence excavations on the sites of the buried 
cities of Assyria, and to him is due the honour of the 
first discovery of her long lost palaces. 

M. Botta commenced his labours at Kouyunjik, 
the large mound opposite Mosul, but he found here 
very little to compensate for his labours. New at 
the time to excavations, he does not appear to have 
worked in the best manner; M. Botta at Kouyunjik 
contented himself with sinking pits in the mound, 
and on these proving unproductive abandoning them. 

While M. Botta was excavating at Kouyunjik, his 
attention was called to the mounds of Ivhorsabad by 
a native of the village on that site; and he sent a 
party of workmen to the spot to commence excava¬ 
tion. In a few days his perseverance was rewarded 
by the discovery of some sculptures, after which, 
abandoning the work at Kouyunjik, he transferred 






































































































































































































































































AND DISCOVERIES. 


3 


his establishment to Khorsabad and thoroughly ex¬ 
plored that site. 

M. Botta’s workmen had sunk a well at Khorsabad, 
and arrived at one of the palace walls. Subsequent 
excavations led to the discovery of many chambers 
and halls, faced with slabs of gypsum carved over with 
mythological figures, battle scenes, processions, and 
similar subjects. Long inscriptions in the cuneiform 
character ran along the middle of most of the slabs, 
and some of them were also inscribed at the back. 
The palace which M. Botta had discovered was built by 
Sargon, king of Assyria, b.c. 722 to 705 ; it is one of 
the most perfect Assyrian buildings yet explored, and 
forms an excellent example of Assyrian architecture. 

Beside the palace on the mound of Khorsabad, M. 
Botta also opened the remains of a temple, and a 
grand porch decorated by six winged bulls, under 
which passed the road from the city to the palace. 
The operations of M. Botta were brought to a close 
in 1845, and a splendid collection of sculptures and 
other antiquities, the fruits of his labours, arrived in 
Paris in 1846 and was deposited in the Louvre. 

Afterwards the French government appointed M. 
Place consul at Mosul, and he continued some of the 
excavations of his predecessor. Among other an¬ 
tiquities he discovered one of the gates of the city to 
which the palace of Sargon belonged. This gate was 
flanked on each side by gigantic winged bulls, and 
the space between them was spanned by an arch 
springing from the backs of the bulls. 


4 


FORMER EXCAVATIONS 


Mr. Layard, whose attention was early turned in 
this direction, visited the country in 1840, and after¬ 
wards took a great interest in the excavations of M. 
Botta. At length, in 1845, Layard was enabled 
through the assistance of Sir Stratford Canning to 
commence excavations in Assyria himself. On the 
8th of November he started from Mosul, and de¬ 
scended the Tigris to Nimroud. Next morning he 
commenced excavations, and soon discovered the 
remains of two palaces. Mr. Layard has described in 
his works with great minuteness his successive exca¬ 
vations, and the remarkable and interesting discoveries 
he made. At Nimroud he found several buildings, 
palaces, and temples ; at Kouyunjik he found the 
palace of Sennacherib, and one of the great gates of 
the city; at Nebbi-yunas a palace of Esarhaddon, and 
minor monuments at various other sites. After 
making these discoveries in Assyria, Mr. Layard 
visited Babylonia, and opened trenches in several of 
the mounds there. On the return of Mr. Layard to 
England, excavations were continued in the Euphrates 
valley under the superintendence of Colonel (now Sir 
Henry) Rawlinson. Under his directions, Mr. Hor- 
muzd Rassam, Mr. Loftus, and Mr. Taylor excavated 
various sites and made numerous discoveries, the 
British Museum receiving the best of the monuments. 

The materials collected in the national museums of 
France and England, and the numerous inscriptions 
published, attracted the attention of the learned, and 
very soon considerable light was thrown on the 


AND DISCOVERIES. 


5 


history, language, manners, and customs of ancient 
Assyria and Babylonia. 

The key to the reading of the Persian cuneiform 
writing had been discovered by Grotefend; but it 
was left to Sir Henry Rawlinson, in his great work 
on the Behistun inscription, to read the records of 
Darius and first decipher the accompanying Scythic 
and Assyro-Babylonian texts ; thus giving a clue to 
the reading of the thousands of inscriptions discovered 
in Assyria and Babylonia. 

The study of the cuneiform writing was carried 
on with great zeal and success by Sir H. Rawlinson, 
Dr. Hincks, Dr. Oppert, Dr. Norris, M. Menant, and 
H. Fox Talbot, Esq., and recently by M. Lenormant, 
Rev. A. H. Sayce, and Dr. Schrader. Other scholars 
have also assisted in the work, but have not taken 
any prominent position in deciphering the inscrip¬ 
tions. Beside the original discovery, the chief merit' 
in deciphering the Assyrian inscriptions belongs to 
Sir H. Rawlinson, who in 1851 published the dis¬ 
covery of the capture of Samaria by Sargon, the war 
against Hezekiah by Sennacherib, and the names of 
many persons and places mentioned in the Bible. 

In 1862 Sir Henry Rawlinson published one of 
the most remarkable Assyrian documents yet dis¬ 
covered, the Assyrian eponym canon, a chronological 
document giving the outlines of the Assyrian official 
chronology. This inscription is invaluable in the 
comparison of Assyrian and Scripture history. 

In 1863 he published a number of discoveries, in- 


6 


FORMER EXCAVATIONS 


eluding the tablet containing the synchronous history 
of Assyria and Babylonia. Next after Sir Henry 
Rawlinson comes Dr. Hincks, a successful student 
both of the Egyptian and Assyrian, and on some 
points the close rival of Sir Henry Rawlinson. Each 
of the other scholars has contributed his share to 
the discoveries which have been made from time to 
time ; these are so numerous that it would take too 
long to do justice to them here, but the accounts of 
previous explorations and discoveries will be found 
in the following works:— 

Botta. Monument de Ninive, Paris, five vols., 
1849-50; Memoire sur l’Ecriture Cuneiforme As- 
syrienne, Paris, 1849. 

Layard. Nineveh and its Remains, London, 1851; 
Nineveh and Babylon, London, 1853 ; Monuments 
of Nineveh, London, 1851 ; second series, 1853; 
Inscriptions in the Cuneiform Character, London, 
1851. 

Loftus. Travels in Chaldea and Susiana, London, 
1856. 

Place. Ninive et l’Assyrie, Paris, 1870. 

Grotefend. Zur Erlauter. d. babylon. Iveilschrift, 
1840; Bemerkungen zur Inschrift eines Thongefasses 
mit niniv. Iveilschrift, Gottingen, 1850-1; Die Tri- 
butverzeichniss d. Obelisken aus Nimrud, Gottingen, 
1852 ; Erlauter. der babyl. Keilinschrift aus Behistun, 
Gottingen, 1853; Erlauter. zweier Ausschr. Nebu- 
kadnezar’s in babyl. Keilschr., Gottingen, 1854, and 
some minor papers. 


AND DISCOVERIES. 


7 


Raiclinson (a Sir II. C .) Commentary on the Cu¬ 
neiform Inscriptions of Babylon and Assyria, London, 
1850; Babylonian text of Great Inscription at Be- 
histun, London, 1851; Memoir on the Babylonian 
and Assyrian Inscriptions, London, 1854; Notes on 
the early history of Babylonia, London, 1856 ; Ortho¬ 
graphy of some of the later royal names of Assyrian 
and Babylonian history, London, 1856; Cuneiform 
Inscriptions of Western Asia, vol. i. 1861, vol. ii. 
1866, vol. iii. 1870, and numerous papers in the 
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1850 to 
1864, and in the “ Athenaeum ” from 1851 to 1867. 

Eincls. Numerous papers in the “ Athenaeum,” 
Transactions of Royal Irish Society, Journal of Royal 
Asiatic Society, Journal of Sacred Literature, from 
1850 to 1866. 

Oppert. Etudes Assyriennes, Inscription de Bor- 
sippa, Paris, 1857; Rapport au Ministre de llnstruc- 
tion publique, Paris, 1857; Expedition en Mesopo- 
tamie, Paris, 1863; Elements de la Grammaire 
Assyrienne, Paris, 1860, second edition, 1868; Com- 
mentaire de la grande Inscription du Palais de 
Khorsabad, Paris, 1865; Histoire des Empires de 
Chald4e et d’Assyrie, Paris, 1865; Les Inscriptions 
de Dour-Sarkayan (Khorsabad), Paris, 1870. 

Norris. Memoirs on the Scythic Version of the 
Behistun Inscription, London, 1853; Assyrian and 
Babylonian Weights, London; Assyrian Dictionary, 
vol. i. 1868, vol. ii. 1870, vol. iii. 1872. 

Fox Talbot. Various papers in the Journal of 


8 EXCAVATION8 AND DISCOVERIES. 


Sacred Literature, Journal of Royal Asiatic Society, 
and Journal of Biblical Archaeology. 

Lenormant . Essai sur un Monument Mathema- 
tique Chald6en, Paris, 1868; Lettres Assyriologiques, 
Paris, 1871; La Magie chez les Chald4ens, Paris, 
1874; Les premieres Civilisations, Paris, 1874; 
Manuel d’histoire ancienne de Y Orient, Paris, 1869; 
Choix de textes Cun4iformes incites, Paris, 1873. 

Menant . Les Briques de Babylon, Paris, 1859; 
Sur les Inscriptions Assyriennes du Mus4e Britan- 
nique, 1862-3; Inscriptions de Hammourabi, Paris, 
1863; Expos6 des Elements de la Grammaire As- 
syrienne, Paris, 1868; Le Syllabaire Assyrien, 
Paris, 1869-73; Le^ns d’Epigraphie Assyrienne, 
Paris, 1873. 

Sayce. On Akkadian Grammar, Journal of Philology, 
1870; Assyrian Grammar, London, 1872; articles in 
Transactions of Society of Biblical Archceology. 

Schrader . In Zeitschrift d. d. Morgenl. Gesellsch., 
1869; Die assyrisch-babylonischen Keilinschriften, 
Leipzig, 1872; Die Keilinschriften und das alte Tes¬ 
tament, Giessen, 1872. 

Brandis. Ueber d. histor. Gewinn aus d. Entziffer. 
der assyr. Inschriften, Berlin, 1856. 

De Saulcy. Recherches sur l’Ecriture Cuneiforme 
Assyrienne, Paris, 1849. 

Rawlinson {George). The Five Great Monarchies 
of the ancient Eastern World, second edition, London, 
1871; Herodotus, second edition, London. 



Chapter II. 

DISCOVERIES FROM 1866 TO 1872. 

Date of Jehu.—Annals of Assurbanipal.—Eclipse, B. C. 763.— 
Pekah.—Hoshea.—Azariah.—Early Elamite conquest.—Re¬ 
ligious calendar.— Sabbaths.—Early Babylonian history.—Chal¬ 
dean account of the deluge.—Offer of the “Daily Telegraph. 

VERYONE has some bent or inclination 
which, if fostered by favourable circum¬ 
stances, will colour the rest of life. My 
own taste has always been for Oriental 
studies, and from my youth I have taken a great 
interest in Eastern explorations and discoveries, 
particularly in the great work in which Layard and 
Rawlinson were engaged. 

For some years I did little or nothing, but in 1866, 
seeing the unsatisfactory state of our knowledge of 
those parts of Assyrian history which bore upon the 
history of the Bible, I felt anxious to do something 
towards settling a few of the questions involved. I 
saw at the time that the key of some of the principal 
difficulties in the case lay in the annals of Tiglath 
Pileser, and I wrote to Sir Henry Rawlinson to ask 
him if the casts and fragments of the inscriptions of 





10 


DISCOVERIES 


this reign were available for reference and examina¬ 
tion. Sir Henry Rawlinson, with whom I had cor¬ 
responded before, took a generous interest in any 
investigations likely to throw light on the studies in 
which he held so distinguished a place, and he at 
once accorded me permission to examine the large 
store of paper casts in his work-room at the British 
Museum. 

This work I found one of considerable difficulty, as 
the casts were most of them very fragmentary, and I 
was quite inexperienced, and had little time at my 
disposal. 



In this my first examination 
of original texts, I did not 
obtain much of consequence 
belonging to the period I 
was in search of; but I lighted 
on a curious inscription of 
Shalmaneser II., which formed 
my first discovery in Assyrian. 
On a remarkable obelisk of 
black stone, discovered by 
Layard in the centre of the 
mound of Nimroud, there are 
Black Obelisk. lines of Sculpture, repre- 

Discorered by Layard at Nimroud. sen ting the tribute received 

by the Assyrian monarch from different countries; and 


attached to the second one is an inscription which was 
deciphered independently by Sir Henry Rawlinson and 
the late Dr. Hincks, and which reads, “ Tribute of Jehu, 


FROM 1866 TO 1872 . 


II 


son of Omri (here follow the names of the articles ), I re¬ 
ceived.” It was recognized that this was the Jehu of 
the Bible, but the date of the transaction could not 
be determined from the inscription. The new text 
which I had found gave a longer and more perfect 
account of the war against Hazael king of Syria, 
and related that it was in the eighteenth year of Shal¬ 
maneser when he received the tribute from Jehu. 

A short account of this text I published in the 
“Athenaeum,” 1866, and being encouraged to pro¬ 
ceed in my researches by Sir Henry Rawlinson and 
Dr. Birch, the keeper of the Oriental department of 
the British Museum, I next set to work on the 
cylinders containing the history of Assurbanipal, the 
Sardanapalus of the Greeks. The annals of this 
monarch were then in considerable confusion, through 
the mutilated condition of the records; but by com¬ 
paring the various copies, I soon obtained a fair text 
of the earlier part of these inscriptions, and Sir Henry 
Rawlinson proposed that I should be engaged by the 
trustees of the British Museum to assist him in the 
work of preparing a new volume of “ Cuneiform In¬ 
scriptions.” Thus, in the beginning of 1867,1 entered 
into official life, and regularly prosecuted the study 
of the cuneiform texts. I owed my first step to Sii 
Henry Rawlinson, whose assistance has been to me of 
the greatest value throughout my work. 

My next discovery related to the tablet printed in 
“Cuneiform Inscriptions,” vol. ii. p. 52, and there 
called a tablet of distribution of officers. This tablet I 


12 


DISCOVERIES 


found to be a canon of Assyrian history, and ascer¬ 
tained that the eclipse mentioned in it corresponded 
with the one in u L’Art cle verifier les dates,” for 15th 
June, b.c. 763. On pointing out my evidence to Sir 
Henry Rawlinson, he remembered a historical fragment 
which corresponded with this tablet, and by fitting it 
into the tablet he completed and proved the discovery. 

I now again took up the examination of the annals 
of Tiglath Pileser, and had the good fortune to find 
several new fragments of the history of this period, 
and discovered notices of Azariah king of Judah, 
Pekah king of Israel, and Hoshea king of Israel. 

In the same year, I found some new portions of 
the Assyrian canon, one with the name of the Shal¬ 
maneser who, according to the Second Book of Kings, 
attacked Hoshea king of Israel. In 1868, continuing 
my investigations, I discovered several accounts of an 
early conquest of Babylonia by the Elamites. This 
conquest is stated to have happened 1635 years before 
Assurbanipal’s conquest of Elam, or b.c. 2280, which 
is the earliest date yet found in the inscriptions. 

In the year 1869,1 discovered among other things 
a curious religious calendar of the Assyrians, in which 
every month is divided into four weeks, and the 
seventh days, or “ Sabbaths,” are marked out as days 
on which no work should be undertaken. 

During 1870,1 was engaged in preparing for publi¬ 
cation my large work on the history of Assurbanipal, 
in which I gave the cuneiform texts, transcriptions, 
and translations of the historical documents of this 


FBO'M 1866 TO 1872 . 


13 


important reign. The work, which was very expen¬ 
sive, on account of the cuneiform type, was published 
in 1871 , at the cost of Mr. J. W. Bosanquet and 
Mr. H. Fox Talbot. 

My next discoveries were in the field of early 
Babylonian history, and these were published in the 
first volume of the “ Transactions of the Society of 
Biblical Archeology.” 

In 1872 , I had the good fortune to make a far 
more interesting discovery, namely, that of the tablets 
containing the Chaldean account of the deluge. The 
first fragment I discovered contained about half of 
the account: it was the largest single fragment of 
these legends. 

As soon as I recognized this, I began a search 
among the fragments of the Assyrian library to find 
the remainder of the story. 

This library was first discovered by Mr. Layard, 
who sent home many boxes full of fragments of terra¬ 
cotta tablets, and after the close of Mr. Layafd’s 
work, Mr. Hormuzd Rassam and Mr. Loftus re¬ 
covered much more of this collection. The frag¬ 
ments of clay tablets were of all sizes, from half an 
inch to a foot long, and were thickly coated with 
dirt, so that they had to be cleaned before anything 
could be seen on the surface. Whenever I found 
anything of interest, it was my practice to examine 
the most likely parts of this collection, and pick out 
all the fragments that would join, or throw light on 
the new subject. My search for fragments of the 


14 DISCOVERIES FROM 1866 TO 1872 . 


Deluge story was soon rewarded by some good finds 7 
and I then ascertained that this tablet, of which I 
obtained three copies, was the eleventh in a series of 
tablets giving the history of an unknown hero, named 
Izdubar; and I subsequently ascertained that this 
series contained in all twelve tablets. These tablets 
were full of remarkable interest, and a notice of them 
being published, they at once attracted a considerable 
amount of attention, both in England and abroad. I 
arranged to give the public, as soon as possible, a 
translation and account of these fragments in a lecture 
before the Biblical Archaeological Society, and this 
was delivered on the 3rd of December, 1872. My 
latest discoveries and completer accounts of these 
tablets will be given in my present work. 

In consequence of the wide interest taken at the 
time in these discoveries, the proprietors of the u Daily 
Telegraph ” newspaper came forward and offered to 
advance a sum of one thousand guineas for fresh re¬ 
searches at Nineveh, in order to recover more of these 
interesting inscriptions, the terms of agreement being 
that I should conduct the expedition, and should 
supply the u Telegraph ” from time to time with ac¬ 
counts of my journeys and discoveries in the East in 
return. 



Chapter III. 

FROM LONDON TO MOSUL. 

Paris. — Marseilles. — Mediterranean. — Palermo. — Etna.— 
Syra.—Smyrna.—• Alexandretta.—Beilan.—Hotels.—Pass of Bei- 
lan.—Afrin.—Robber.—Aleppo.—Turkish holiday.—Euphrates. 
—Tcharmelek.—Orfa.—American missions.—Christians in Tur¬ 
key. — Varenshaher. — River Khabour. — Nisibin. — Rising of 
Shammer Arabs.—Lofuk.—Abdul Kareem.—Tellibel.—Djezireh. 
River Tigris.—Khabour.—Zaccho.—Mule driver.—Nineveh. 

HE offer of the proprietors of the “ Daily 
Telegraph” being accepted by the trus¬ 
tees of the British Museum, I received 
leave of absence for six months and 
directions to proceed to the East and open excava- 
tions for the recovery of further cuneiform inscrip¬ 
tions. It would have been better to have waited 
until the next autumn before starting, but I desired 
that there should be no disappointment to the pro¬ 
prietors of the “ Daily Telegraph,” who had gener¬ 
ously offered to pay the expenses, and who naturally 
wished some letters in return while the subject was 
fresh in the public mind, so I resolved to start at 
once, and after receiving much advice and assistance 






16 


FROM LONDON 


from my friend Mr. Edwin Arnold, himself an old 
Eastern traveller, I got off from London on the— 
evening of the 20th of January, 1873, and crossed 
the Channel during the night. As the weather was 
stormy, I paid the usual tribute to Neptune; but 
reached the French coast in good condition for 
breakfast. On my way I fell in with an active 
partizan of the fallen empire, going back to France to 
try to work a change in political affairs there. This 
gentleman lightened my journey and amused me 
very much by his endeavours to whitewash the late 
French government, and to persuade me to read 
some recent passages in history through his spec¬ 
tacles. 

I rested the next night in Paris, and on the 
morning of the 22nd went to view the Assyrian 
collection at the Louvre, some notice of which I sent 
to the “ Telegraph.” 

It is impossible in a short notice to give a correct 
description of this admirable collection, which, al¬ 
though not of great extent, contains several valuable 
antiquities, the larger part of which were discovered 
by M. Botta at Ivhorsabad, and principally belong to 
the reign of Sargon, the monarch mentioned by 
Isaiah. 

Among the remarkable objects in the Louvre there 
is a bronze statuette of the time of Kudur-mabuk, an 
early Elamite king, and a series of metal tablets 
inscribed with the records of Sargon, which were 
buried in the foundations of his city in the mound of 


TO MOSUL. 


17 


Khorsabad. After a hasty glance at these and 
numerous other treasures, I departed in the evening 
for Marseilles, where I arrived on the afternoon of 
the 23rd, and at midday on the 24th of January I 
left Marseilles for the East. 

The whole of this part of my journey was new to 
me, and consequently had a double interest; but it 
has been passed over by many travellers and often 
described before, so I can dismiss it with a short 
notice. I took passage on one of the steamers of the 
Messageries Maritimes company, named the u Said.” 

Passing out of the harbour of Marseilles, I got a 
good view of the fortifications built for the defence 
of this port, and looking from an unprofessional 
point of view, it seemed to me that if they ever came 
into use some of the fine houses near the sea would 
be in very exposed positions; but it is always diffi¬ 
cult to accommodate fortifications to a large and 
flourishing city. 

There is a desolate, weather-worn appearance about 
the south coast of France, and an apparent absence 
of good sites for seaports and harbours; rugged 
rocks appear everywhere, and although in many 
places romantic, they appear to be of the same cha¬ 
racter all along the shore. Passing along the straits 
which divide Corsica from Sardinia, some fine 
scenery presents itself, beautiful rocks, bays, pro¬ 
montories, and islands are seen in succession, and 
among other places, Caprera, the island home of 
Garibaldi, comes into view. The coast, however, 
c 


18 


FROM LONDON 


still presents the same desolate appearance, and very 
few boats are seen. 

The captain of the u Said,” M. Girard, was a 
capital companion on the voyage, and paid the 
greatest attention to his passengers. I was much 
indebted to him throughout the journey; he had 
read of my recent Assyrian discoveries, and when¬ 
ever we came to any place likely to interest me, he 
took me on shore to examine it. 

On the morning of the 26 th we came in sight 
of Sicily, and entered the bay of Palermo. The 
weather was now fine, and the appearance of the 
island beautiful. The city of Palermo is built round 
the bay, and it is backed by fine sloping mountains, 
which seemed covered by verdure even at this time 
of the year. The appearance of the city from the 
sea is charming, and the bay appears well sheltered, 
and affords excellent anchorage. Palermo seems to 
enjoy a fair amount of prosperity; there was at this 
time in the bay a good show of foreign shipping, 
including some British vessels. I went on shore 
with Captain Girard, and we made our way up the 
principal street. There are many noble old man¬ 
sions, and much on every side to remind one of days 
gone by. We passed into the cathedral, a fine 
building evidently the work of different ages, and in 
it we saw the tombs of the old kings of Sicily. 
Some of these monuments are very fine, and the 
interior of the building altogether seemed fitted for 
the gorgeous ceremonials of the Italian worship. 


TO MOSUL. 


19 


Service was then going on in the cathedral, but the 
point, that seemed most painful to English eyes was 
the confessional, which was carried out during the 
service and in the church. Over the principal 
entrance of the building stood a portrait of Victor 
Emmanuel. This astonished me very much, on 
account of the hatred of the Catholic clergy to him. 

Passing out of the cathedral, we went to view a 
Roman villa which had been excavated and cleared 
for inspection, being protected all round by an iron 
rail. The solid thick walls, the mosaic pavements, 
courtyard, and various rooms and offices, formed a 
curious picture of the style of this great nation now 
passed away. Considerable interest appears to be 
taken in archaeology at Palermo, and other remains 
have been discovered in the same neighbourhood. 
Palermo has prospered very much since the forma¬ 
tion of the kingdom of Italy, but there still remains 
round it the curse of brigandage. Passing out of 
Palermo in the evening, we steamed towards the 
straits dividing Italy from Sicily. Just before dawn 
the next morning the captain sent to wake me, and 1 
went on deck to enjoy the lovely view of sunrise 
over Etna. Night still hung over the landscape, and 
the lights of Reggio on the Italian shore, and 
Messina on the Sicilian coast, fringed the sea on 
either side like rows of stars. Soon after, the first 
rays of the morning sun tinted the top of Etna with 
a fiery pink, and the mountain stood out like a giant, 
towering above all the surrounding hills, clothed in a 


20 


FROM LONDON 


mantle of snow, with a few light, fleecy clouds 
playing about its summit. Gradually the glow of 
light crept down the side of Etna, while a dark 
leaden hue spread over the rest of the scene; then as 
the light descended, and peak after peak caught the 
rays, new effects of light and shade were given, ever 
varying, but always beautiful. The morning dis¬ 
persed the clouds, and put an end to these pleasing 
views; but there continued to be ample interest in 
watching the southern shore of Italy, with its 
romantic and beautiful scenery. 

Our course now lay towards the Greek archipelago, 
and on the 28th we passed the bay of Navarino, the 
scene of the disastrous defeat of the Turkish fleet. 
A little later we passed a bold rock, jutting out into 
the sea with steep and lofty sides, having half-way 
up from the sea a solitary cell, in which resides a 
hermit who cultivates a patch of sloping ground 
round his dwelling, but principally subsists on the 
alms of strangers. Just past his hermitage are seen 
on a ledge of the rock the remains of a considerable 
monastery, the ruined arches of which seem almost 
like fantastic portions of the rocks which back them. 
The feelings which prompted men to build on these 
rugged rocks, and to inhabit such lonely and inac¬ 
cessible spots, must have been in marked contrast to 
the spirit of intercourse and activity now so uni¬ 
versal. 

Next morning, 29th, we came in sight of Syra, 
and anchored in front of the town. Syra is the 


TO MOSUL. 


21 


principal port of the Greek archipelago, and is a 
thriving and important place. It has a large and 
increasing trade, and appeared to be much frequented 
by Austrian vessels. The town presents a beautiful 
appearance from the sea, being situated on the side 
of a hill facing the harbour, the houses rising one 
above another until they nearly crown the eminence. 

Many of the buildings are of marble, and look 
very fine in the distance, while it is a common custom 
to paint a light tint over the faces of the houses, so 
that these add to the general effect. 

The main portion of the town is inhabited by 
Greeks, who profess the faith of the Eastern church, 
but some of the people are Catholics, and such is the 
feeling between the two that they have to inhabit 
different portions of the town, the Catholic quarter 
lying higher up the hill with a zone of neutral 
territory to separate it from the Greek town. Even 
this division does not prevent strife, and the inter¬ 
mediate space is sometimes the scene of conflicts be¬ 
tween adherents of the two faiths. 

I went on shore with the captain, landing at the 
base of the rocks to the left of the town. On ap¬ 
proaching the shore I found that the appearance of 
fertility observed from the vessel was deceptive ; the 
rocks round Syra having a green colour, while the 
ground is as barren and stony as it can well be. The 
captain tried some shooting, but only bagged one 
bird about as large as a sparrow. We now abandoned 
the field and passed through the tanners’ quarter, the 


2 


FROM LONDON 


place of a thriving industry, the appearance of which 
was very curious ; from there we went to the office 
of the Messageries company, and afterwards visited 
the theatre and cathedral. The appearance of the 
public buildings is not so fine on close inspection, as 
the stone with which they are built is left too rough. 

The Greeks of Syra, and in fact of most other 
places, are large, strongly-made people, but they 
have not the symmetry of form and classical features 
of the Greeks of antiquity; they are active and enter¬ 
prising, and are taking the lead all over the East. 

In the afternoon we left Syra, and next morning 
anchored in front of the town of Smyrna. I had now 
arrived in the Turkish dominions, and Smyrna was 
the first town I saw in Asia. 

On reaching the deck in the morning I was sur¬ 
rounded by a number of Greeks, touts for the different 
hotels ; these men pressed their services upon me, 
offering to show me everything, from the temple of 
Diana to the bazaars of Smyrna. I declined their 
aid, and with some little difficulty got rid of them, 
but I was followed by one gentleman who thought 
me rather green ; he informed me that the others 
were all cheats, advised me not to have anything to 
do with them, and wound up by hoping I would go 
ashore in his boat. I thanked him for his informa¬ 
tion, and told him that when I wanted to go on shore 
I could find a boat, and so I sent off the last of my 
persecutors. Later in the day I went on shore with 
the captain, and we no sooner touched the land than 


TO MOSUL. 


23 


we were followed by two men who wanted to show 
us over the town ; one of these, an old Jew, followed 
us all the time, and did all he could to induce us to 
make purchases at the various shops. We passed 
along the principal streets and through the bazaars ; 
all the thoroughfares were very narrow, and crowded 
with various animals and people carrying packages: 
it was difficult to pick our way among these crowds, 
which distracted our attention from the shops and 
goods. All sorts of things were exposed for sale, 
including antiquities, arms, uniforms, and Eastern 
dresses. Here and there were Eastern refreshment 
houses, where natives were cooking dirty-looking 
messes ; one of these dishes appeared to me particu¬ 
larly repulsive, it consisted of small portions of meat 
and intestines of kids strung on skewers like cat’s 
meat, and roasted before a charcoal fire. This dainty 
appeared in particular request, and the sellers were 
calling aloud to the passers-by not to miss the oppor¬ 
tunity of trying it, as it was then in perfection. In 
the market-place we saw a number of natives getting 
up a fight between some turkeys and a cock, and they 
seemed to enjoy it immensely. Next day we went 
to Caravan Street, the spot from which all the caravans 
start for the interior of Asia. This road was in a 
worse state than any of the others, and if possible 
more crowded ; it was nothing but one long mud¬ 
pudding, through which continually passed strings of 
camels in each direction, every caravan being led by 
n donkey, which carried the personal effects of the 


24 


FROM LONDON 


owner. Smyrna itself is a town of very mixed 
appearance, half European and half Asiatic ; the 
inhabitants do not appear to be very favourable spe¬ 
cimens ; a well-known Oriental traveller has described 
the place as containing the rag-tag of Europe and the 
bob-tail of Asia. The commerce of the city is con¬ 
siderable, but the water grows shallower every year, 
and the port is gradually silting up. 

At Smyrna we had several new passengers bound 
for the same port as myself, Alexandretta. We also 
took on board a number of Asiatics going on pil¬ 
grimage; they travelled fourth class, living on the 
deck at the fore part of the vessel: they were exceed¬ 
ingly devout and equally filthy, and from the time 
they took possession we avoided that part of the 
vessel. 

On the 1st of February we arrived at Rhodes, and 
again landed to inspect the town. There are some 
curious old cannon in the fort, and many buildings 
worth visiting. Among other places we looked into 
one of the mosques; some of the faithful were de¬ 
voutly engaged in worship within the building, and 
their shoes, which they had taken off according to 
Oriental custom, stood at the porch. I could not 
avoid the reflection that in our own highly-favoured 
country those boots would not have remained long at 
the door. 

Next day we passed along the southern coast of 
Asia Minor, here called Caramania. This coast is 
bold and rocky in the extreme, and there did not 


TO MOSUL . 


25 - 


appear to be either shelter or port over the whole 
distance. At one spot there stood the ruins of a 
large town, walls, houses, aqueducts, and other 
structures covered the whole space, and some parts 
seemed as if only abandoned yesterday; the whole 
scene, however, was utterly desolate, not a human 
being or sign of cultivation being visible. 

On the 3rd we arrived at Mersina, a small port 
doing a great amount of trade, the goods being 
brought from the interior on camels. The appear¬ 
ance of Mersina is very unfavourable, and the town 
is unhealthy, there being always a great amount of 
fever. The port is not sheltered, and in rough 
weather landing is difficult. From Mersina we 
steamed to Alexandretta, the port to which I was 
bound; and bidding farewell to Captain Girard, I 
went on shore in company with Mr. Forbes, an 
English merchant, and we called on Mr. Franck, the 
British consul. 

The consul and Madame Franck received us very 
kindly, and we stayed and lunched with them before 
starting. Mr. Franck at once assisted me to get a 
servant, and Mrs. Franck packed up some useful 
things for the road. I remained some hours at 
Alexandretta while preparations were made for the 
journey, and was able to examine the place. 

Alexandretta is the finest port on the Syrian 
coast; the bay is well sheltered and the anchorage 
good ; the place seems shut in by mountains, and on 
a broad spit of sand lying along the water at the 


26 


FROM LONDON 


foot of the mountains the town is built. The 
scenery round is beautiful, and the position is 
suitable for building a large port, but Alexandretta 
is only a small place, badly built and unhealthy. 
The commerce of the place is considerable, and all 
goods, to go overland to Aleppo or Baghdad, pass 
through here. 

I landed at Alexandretta on the 4th of February, 
and the same day in the afternoon started for Mosul. 
After passing along the level ground for a little 
distance, we began to ascend the mountains, which 
looked so picturesque from Alexandretta. The road 
here is very fair for Turkey, and the scenery beauti¬ 
ful. As I was new to this travelling, it took us 
three hours to get from Alexandretta to the first 
station, Beilan. I was accompanied by two of my 
fellow-passengers in the “ Said,” Mr. Forbes and Mr. 
Kerr. Mr. Forbes was on a pleasure trip into the 
interior, and Mr. Kerr was going to Aleppo on busi¬ 
ness. Arriving in the evening at Beilan, we looked 
for accommodation, and first turned to a new khan 
just building; only the skeleton of this place was up, 
and it did not appear sufficient for our purposes, so 
we went further on to the residence of one named 
Yakub, who kept what he was pleased to call the 
u hotel” of Beilan. This place consisted simply of 
rough wooden rooms and benches, with a strong 
suspicion of vermin. Mr. Forbes, an experienced 
traveller, declared he smelt bugs and fleas, not to 
mention other things, and mounting again, he rode 


TO MOSUL. 


2 7 


back to the khan, choosing the insufficient shelter in 
preference to the small company. 

Mr. Kerr and I resolved to stay and try it, and 
Mr. Forbes called on us a little later to dine. Our 
hotel had no windows, holes in the wall served that 
purpose, and the boards or logs of the floor were 
placed so wide apart that there seemed some danger 
of slipping down into the next apartment; a bench 
served as table, the guests brought their own 
cutlery, &c., and dispensed with tablecloths as a 
useless luxury. The single course consisted of a 
tough fowl that might have remembered the Assyrian 
empire. After our rich repast, Yakub, the pro¬ 
prietor, brought to us a book, in which his various 
visitors had written their experience of his place. 
Yakub, who could not read, thought that these 
entries were all praise, and begged us to add some 
notice of our satisfaction to the collection. We took 
the book and looked it through; it was full of the 
richest and most appropriate remarks about the 
“hotel:” one discoursed about the age of the fowls, 
another about the vermin ; others gave cautions to 
the travellers who might come after; one advised his 
successors not to fall through the holes in the floor, as 
they would be astonished at the appearance of the 
apartment below, another wrote that the place was 
comfortable, and the holes in the floor “ very con¬ 
venient.” After inserting some remarks in this 
book, Mr. Forbes left, and Mr. Kerr and myself 
commenced a battle with the fleas; ultimately our 


28 


FROM LONDON 


weariness got the better of us, and we fell asleep. 
I awoke in the night and found a heavy storm was 
raging, which bid fair to spoil our next day’s travel¬ 
ling. Next day Mr. Forbes went on to Antioch, and 
Mr. Kerr and I rode through the Beilan pass. 
Beilan itself is romantically situated in the gorge of 
the pass, the houses being built up the mountains on 
each side. There are beautiful springs and streams 
of water, and the rocks in some places are covered 
with maiden-hair. The pass of Beilan is the only 
road from Alexandretta to the interior, and if a rail¬ 
way is ever constructed in this part of the world, 
this pass is the only place which will present any 
great engineering difficulty. The local traffic in the 
interior of Asiatic Turkey is, however, so small, 
that a railway could only pay the contractors, and it 
would take many years before any internal traffic 
could be developed. The storm which had happened 
in the night had made the pass slippery and difficult 
to travel over, and I was glad after riding through 
it to rest at the coffee station of Delebekir. This 
station is situated near where the pass opens on the 
plain of Antioch; on the right lies the lake of 
Antioch, a large sheet of water with swampy sides, 
which sometimes extends over a considerable part of 
the plain. 

The resting place at Delebekir is a hut of the 
rudest description, and here we sat a few minutes to 
partake of Turkish coffee before going on the next 
stage of the journey. Our road now lay across an 


TO MOSUL. 


29 


extensive plain, through which wanders the river 
Kara Su, a tributary of the Orontes, a broad, shallow, 
sluggish stream. The whole plain is wild and deso¬ 
late, overgrown with rushes and wild plants, but 
capable of a high degree of cultivation. Across the 
swampy parts were ruined causeways and ancient 
bridges, all in a state of dilapidation very characteristic 
of Turkey. In the evening we came to Ain Bada. a 
station where the plain is broken by ranges of hills. 
Here we put up at the khan, and shared its accom¬ 
modation with a number of native travellers going 
between Alexandretta and Aleppo. The khan was 
as usual a rough building of stones and mud thatched 
over to keep out the rain. The ground formed the 
floor, a slight depression in the middle made a place 
for a fire, and round the sides was a rough platform 
of boards to sleep upon. We sat on this platform, 
smoking and drinking coffee, and watching with 
amusement the native travellers. These gentlemen 
appeared to have been playing some game of chance 
and quarrelled over it; they broke out into bad lan¬ 
guage and called each other cheats, the matter 
ending in a fight. The Arabs pulled and tugged 
each other all about the place, and presently laying 
hold of one of their number, pushed him by general 
consent out of the khan. We now had peace, and soon 
made ourselves comfortable for the night, and early 
in the morning started again on our way. The road 
from Ain Bada passes through a wild and more 
rugged country, intersected by sterile mountains, on 


30 


FROM LONDON 


which a few goats only find subsistence ; it is broken 
about the middle by a plain really part of the plain of 
Antioch, through which here runs the river Afrin, 
also a tributary of the Orontes. At Afrin we rested 
to have our mid-day meal, and here we heard of the 
exploits of a famous robber who was at large in the 
district. This man had been one of the irregular 
soldiers in the Turkish army, but afterwards had 
abandoned the service and taken to the road. He 
had carried on his depredations for some years, and 
with all their efforts the authorities had failed to 
capture him. A reward was now offered for his 
capture, but had as yet produced no result. This 
man was guilty of no cruelty in his robberies, and 
through a little generosity to some of the villagers 
he secured himself friends and hiding-places when 
the agents of the government were after him. A 
little while before I arrived there, he had plundered 
the station of Afrin. Coming in the night with a 
band of followers, he hammered at the door and 
called out that they were travellers who had lost 
their way, and begged shelter until the morning. On 
the owner opening the door, he was seized and 
bound, while the robbers ransacked the place and 
carried off everything but an old clock. While we 
were at Afrin a party of Turkish irregulars arrived, 
and the officer in charge of the detachment imme¬ 
diately inquired my business in the country ; but 
without waiting for an answer, he showed his pene¬ 
tration by saying, “Oh, I know, you are come to 


TO MOSUL. 


31 


survey the country for a railroad.’ 7 Leaving Afrin, 
we journeyed to Termanin, where we put up for the 
night. Here we lodged at a private house, and were 
more comfortable than we had yet been. I saw little 
of the place, but the country seemed to consist of 
rich plains, crossed and broken here and there by 
barren, stony mountains. On the morning of the 
7th of February we started early from Termanin, 
and rode to Aleppo. The road was rough and hilly, 
and this part of the country lies a considerable 
height above the sea. Outside the city we were met 
by M. Costi, a friend of Mr. Kerr, and we put up 
at an apology for an hotel, called the “ locanda.” 
Aleppo is a fine city, and is said to have nearly half a 
million of inhabitants. It has a noble castle, and is 
surrounded by fortifications. All the best of the 
city is Saracenic in its architecture, and the castle 
and walls are now partly in ruins. The streets are 
narrow, and paved with small slippery stones; the 
houses are very fair for an Eastern town, and there 
are many public buildings. 

In the evening, Mr. Kerr and I paid a visit to M. 
Costi, who lived in the Christian quarter of the town. 
It was late at night when we returned to the locanda, 
and, as there are no lights in the streets of these 
Eastern cities, we were escorted home by a man 
bearing a large Oriental lantern. 

Next morning, I called on Mr. Skene, our consul 
at Aleppo. He received me in a most friendly 
manner, and offered me every assistance in his power. 


32 


FROM LONDON 


I was afterwards continually indebted to his good 
offices while in the Turkish territory. 

It was now the Turkish festival of Korban Bairam, 
and all business was suspended, so I could not move 
from Aleppo; and being obliged to stay, I wandered 
round the city to see the festival. Everybody was 
out, and all seemed enjoying themselves in a very 
childish fashion, grave, bearded men taking turns in 
swings like so many boys at a fair. On Sunday we 
rode out to see the public gardens, which are very 
good: they were established by a former pacha, but 
have been for some time neglected, as his successors, 
being pious Moslems, and consequently bigoted and 
ignorant, do not understand the use of such places. 

On the 11th, I completed my arrangements, and 
started on the 12th of February for Mosul. A Swiss 
gentleman, travelling on business to the same place, 
asked leave to accompany my caravan, and we started 
together from Aleppo about midday, arriving in the 
evening at Tel Karamel, where we put up with the 
chief of the village. We were installed in a large 
building, divided by mud partitions into four or five 
parts, in one of which was a raised place, which was 
assigned to us. Into the rest of the building they 
brought our mules and all their own cattle. As soon as 
we were settled, a crowd of natives came in, and stood 
all round us, to observe our manners and customs; 
such was the curiosity of these people that they did 
not separate until they had seen us go to bed. 

Next morning we rode to the village of Beglabeg, 


TO MOSUL . 


33 


and, on the 14th, from Beglabeg to Muzar. On the 
15th of February, we started early in the morning, 
and after a ride of about three hours came in sight 
of the river Euphrates. As I looked on this noble 
stream, called in ancient days the Great River, 
thoughts of the mighty empires and powerful 
monarchs once ruling beside its waters passed 
through my mind. The river is worthy of its 
associations: it is a broad, powerful stream, grand 
even now in its neglected condition. 

We arrived at the river opposite the town of 
Biradjik, and, crossing in one of the ferry-boats, 
made our way along the narrow, crooked streets to 
the khan. When I started from Aleppo, I intended 
to ride to Diarbekr, and take a raft from there to 
Mosul; I consequently engaged my caravan to go to 
Diarbekr. I now asked my mule-driver to go to 
Mosul, but he refused: he was a native of Baghdad, 
and wanted to go to that town, and Mosul was 200 
miles nearer to his home than Diarbekr, so that it was 
to his advantage to go to Mosul; but he saw that I 
desired to change the route, and resolved to make as 
much money as possible out of the circumstances. 

Finding I could do nothing with him, I took him 
to the court. The court house was like a fair Eastern 
dwelling. On reaching it, we were ushered through 
the door into an open court, surrounded by a balcony; 
and ascending to the balcony by a flight of steps, we 
were admitted into the police-court, or judgment 
hall. The method of proceeding here is very com- 

D 


FROM LONDON 


84 

fortable, and the officials were very polite. All sat 
round the room on cushions, as is the custom in the 
East, and coffee and cigarettes were passed round 
before entering upon business. After some little 
difficulty an agreement was made with the driver, 
and we prepared to start next morning. Biradjik, 
the town at which I was staying, is more substantially 
built than most Eastern towns; a light, soft stone, 
apparently half chalk, half limestone, serves for many 
of the structures. The town is situated on an uneven 
elevation of this stone, just at the edge of the 
Euphrates; it is a station of some importance, and 
possesses a large ruined castle, which is very curious. 
Biradjik is probably the Tul-barsip of the Assyrian 
inscriptions, which was added to the Assyrian empire 
b.c. 856. 

On the 16th of February, I started from Biradjik, 
and travelled to Tcharmelek. Tcharmelek is a curi¬ 
ous-looking village, and its dome-shaped dwellings 
strikingly resemble some of the pictures of villages 
in the Assyrian sculptures. On finding an apartment 
here, the natives crowded round us as they did at 
Tel Karamel. But there was abound of rude music 
in the distance, which, they said, proceeded from a 
wedding company, so, after seeing us into bed, the 
natives turned off to see as much as they could of the 
bride and bridegroom. On the 17th, we rode to 
Orfa. The road from Tcharmelek to Orfa gradually 
becomes rougher and more rocky as you proceed, and 
in the latter part is artificial, being carried along the 


TO MOSUL . 


35 


side of a mountain gorge. On emerging from this 
gorge, a wide fertile plain is seen extending for many 
miles, and almost entirely surrounded by mountains. 
Just by the gorge, Orfa is situated, partly built on 
the plain, and partly up the face of a hill. It is a very 
old town, with some relics of various ages: there are 
buildings of the Roman and Saracenic time, inscrip¬ 
tions in Greek, Pehlevi, and Arabic, and many curious 
tombs cut in the rock. I called on Pastor Hagub, of 
the American mission, and from him received a kind 
welcome. He gave me some details of the noble work 
now being accomplished by the American missiona¬ 
ries in these countries, and of the difficulties which 
they met with. People in England and America, 
who read every now and then in the papers that the 
Grand Vizier has issued an order for the protection 
of liberty of conscience, and conceding justice to the 
Christians, little know the useless character of such an¬ 
nouncements. The grinding tyranny under which the 
Christians suffer, and the defiance of all solemn pro¬ 
mises in places beyond the notice of the representa¬ 
tives of European powers, clearly show the nature of 
the Moslem rule. It is an astonishing fact that a 
Christian country like England upholds the Porte, 
and yet does not insist on justice being done to the 
Christians in Turkey. No end of promises are given, 
but anyone conversant with Turkey knows the dis¬ 
tance between promise and performance. Probably it 
is not generally known in England and America that 
no Mahometan in Asia dare turn Christian. Until 


36 


FROM LONDON 


this state of affairs is altered, missions in Asiatic 
Turkey will not produce the fruit they ought. 

After bidding farewell to Pastor Hagub, I made 
ready to leave Orfa on the 18th, but the weather was 
so stormy that it was some time before I could get 
off. A Turkish gentleman, who had come to Alexan- 
dretta in the same vessel as myself, had travelled up 
the country nearly at the same time, and was now at 
Orfa. He started on the 18th to go on further, but 
got wet through in the storm, and turned back. I 
tried to persuade him to start again with me, but he 
would not venture. I went off about midday, the 
storm having subsided. The road was in an awful 
condition through the rain, and resembled a mud¬ 
pudding; and we had not gone far before we came 
near a camel lying down in the path. Just before 
we reached it, the camel suddenly got up, and our 
animals taking fright started off; mine carried me 
half across a field, when I managed to pull it up. 
My Swiss companion was not so fortunate: he rode a 
mule, and this creature at once threw him. He dropped 
into the mud-pudding, and arose painted from head 
to foot. After this little misfortune, we managed to 
reach Adana without further adventure. Round 
Adana, and in the region beyond it, snow had been 
falling, and we could see the mountains in front 
covered with it. The house we put up in at Adana 
had one curiosity—its door was formed of an ancient 
threshing machine. This was a large frame of wood, 
in which were fixed hundreds of small worked flints, 


TO MOSUL . 


37 


similar to those which are found in prehistoric de¬ 
posits. The use of such an instrument shows the 
small amount of change produced by thousands of 
years in the East. 

Leaving Adana we rode over part of the mountain 
range of Karajah Dagh, which was covered with 
snow and bitterly cold, and obtained a very indiffer¬ 
ent shelter at Dashlook. The chief of Dashlook is 
much under the influence of his wife, who has more 
power than women usually possess in the East. This 
lady, who is a confirmed smoker, begged some to¬ 
bacco from us, which I readily presented to her, as 
she was a hospitable hostess. 

On the 20th we rode to Tel Gauran, or Telligori, 
where we had again a kind reception, and starting 
from there early in the morning, arrived in the 
middle of the day at Varenshaher. Varenshaher is 
a poor village situated in the midst of the ruins of a 
fine Roman town; it serves as a government station 
between Orfa and Nisibin. Here we changed our 
guides, and I then went on to an encampment which 
they called Engerlu. This part of the country is 
very curious; the soil is throughout a rich red earth, 
and the country is nearly level from the Karajah 
Dagh and Mardin mountains on the north, to the 
Hamma and Sinjar hills on the south; but all along 
the northern part the ground is covered by fragments 
of scored weatherbeaten rock, thicker near the moun¬ 
tains and gradually becoming less numerous further 
south; as a general rule, wherever a hill stands up 


38 


FROM LONDON 


in the plain the hill is covered with these boulders, 
even where there are few or none on the plain. The 
mountains north of this plain give rise to a consider¬ 
able number of small streams, which unite lower 
down to form the river Khabour. On the 22nd we 
arrived at one of the principal branches of this river; 
we found it difficult to cross, as we had lost the 
road to the ford, and the whole country is so desolate 
that we found no one of whom to inquire. The 
banks of this stream were very beautiful; it had cut 
out a deep valley, passing through the top soil and a 
stratum of rock similar in appearance to the Mardin 
mountains; at the bottom of this cutting it was 
flowing then, a beautiful stream swollen by the winter 
rains. We contrived to descend this gully, and then 
forded the stream, and as we climbed up the face of 
the rocks on the other side we startled a pair of 
eagles which had made their nest in the rock. 

Soon after we found again the road to Nisibin, and 
came in sight of the towers of Dinasar, which are 
visible for many miles. I endeavoured to reach the 
place, but at sunset found myself still many miles 
away. The evening was beautiful, and the setting 
sun threw splendid tints on to the Mardin mountains 
to the north; lovely colours which we seldom see off 
the painter’s canvas played about these peaks, and I 
was so taken by the beautiful scene that I lingered 
to look at it until the sun went down. Darkness 
now setting in I lost my way, but was fortunately 
found by one of my guides, and after some difficulty 


TO MOSUL. 


39 


we reached the village of Aburumeha. The inhabit¬ 
ants of this place were Christians, but they showed 
no hospitality, and at first refused to receive me. I 
could not, however, go on in the night, so I compelled 
them to give me a shelter, and in the morning started 
for Nisibin. 

I tried hard to reach Nisibin, but the animals were 
too jaded, and I had to be content to put up at Kasr 
Serjan and start again for Nisibin on the 24th. Early 
in the day we arrived at this town. Nisibin was 
once a considerable place, but is now a poor town 
very little better than a village, it was a large Assy¬ 
rian city, the seat of one of the governors, who took 
rank as an eponym, and there are extensive mounds 
and ruins attesting its former prosperity. I left 
Nisibin the same day, and travelled on to the Chris¬ 
tian village of Kobuk. This village and many of the 
places round were plundered by the Arabs in the 
last Shammer war. The circumstances of this affair, 
us I heard them in the country, were as follows. 

One great interest of the works of Layard consists 
in the splendid description he gives of the various 
Arab tribes he met during his travels. Layard re¬ 
lates how Sofuk, chief of the great tribe of Shammer, 
applied to the pacha of Baghdad for a body of 
Turkish troops to assist him in subduing some tribes 
who had thrown off their allegiance to him. The 
governor of Baghdad pretended to agree to this, and 
sent a detachment of soldiers; but when the Arab 
chief trusted himself to them, they murdered him and 


40 


FROM LONDON 


sent his head as a trojdiy to Baghdad. After this 
his son Ferhan became chief of the Shammer, and 
being of a pacific disposition, submitted to the Turk¬ 
ish government; but Ferhan had a brother, named 
Abdul Kareem, of more independent spirit, and great 
influence among the Arabs. The Turkish governors 
were anxious to break the power of the Shammer, 
and I was told that one of them tempted Abdul 
Kareem to a rising against the Turks. Abdul Kareem 
took the bait and broke out into rebellion, a consider¬ 
able number of the tribes following his standard. 
The Turks had drafted into this region a considerable 
number of Circassian emigrants who had taken service 
in the Turkish irregular forces, and Abdul Kareem 
endeavoured to persuade them to revolt and join 
him; they, however, stood firm, and formed excellent 
auxiliaries to the Turkish army. The Arabs, under 
Abdul Kareem, spread themselves over the country 
and plundered as far as the Mardin mountains, but 
they were ultimately defeated in a battle by the 
Tigris, and many of them driven into the river. 
Abdul Kareem escaped from the slaughter and re¬ 
mained at large for a little time, but the Turks tempted 
one of his friends, the chief of the tribe of Mentafice, 
and he invited Abdul Kareem to a banquet, at which 
the Turkish soldiers, being in ambush, captured the 
Shammer chief and sent him to Baghdad. Abdul 
Kareem was tried at Baghdad, but the court could 
not decide on his guilt in the matter, so he was ordered 
to be sent to Constantinople for his case to be judged; 


TO MOSUL. 


41 


but when he arrived at Mosul, the Turkish govern¬ 
ment sent orders to hang him without further trial, 
and the execution took place on the bridge of Mosul. 
It is of course necessary to keep under the Arab 
tribes, but every well-wisher to Turkey must desire 
that this should be accomplished without treachery 
and bad faith. 

From Kobuk I travelled on the 25th to Tellibel; 
the whole road gave signs of cultivation and there 
were many villages, but the travelling was very 
tedious. At Tellibel our accommodation was bad ; 
we received a little room in the interior of a house, 
with only one hole situated in the roof for ventilation 
and letting out the smoke. The place was very 
stuffy, and yet the natives crowded in to see us, and 
we were forced to clear them out of the room before 
we could do anything. In the night I was awakened 
by hearing somebody lashing about with a riding- 
whip ; and calling out to ask what was the matter, 
my companion told me that a cat trying to descend 
from the hole in the roof had fallen on to him and 
woke him up ; he took hold of his whip and laid 
about him, but as it was dark I think puss escaped. 

Next morning we started for Djezireh over an 
undulating country crossed by deep ravines; the 
country gradually became more interesting as we 
neared the Tigris, and for a considerable part of the 
day we enjoyed a view of the Jebel Djudi range of 
mountains, which lay beyond Djezireh. These moun¬ 
tains were half covered with snow, and the contrast 


42 


FROM LONDON 


between the pure white of the snow and the black 
rock of the mountain range was remarkable. The 
whole of the country which we had traversed from 
the Euphrates was a vast table-land, and on gaining 
sight of the Tigris we saw that the stream ran at the 
bottom of an enormous valley or cutting worn out of 
this table-land by the action of the water. We de¬ 
scended by a precipitous path to the side of a smaller 
cutting, at the bottom of which flowed a tributary of 
the Tigris. The appearance of this cutting was 
curious. All the upper rocks, here and for a consider¬ 
able distance along the Tigris, consist of a mixture of 
gravel stones and large pebbles cemented together 
like a pudding. The sides of the valleys were cut by 
the action of the water into steep upright faces, and 
in some places the cliffs were undermined. Enormous 
masses of the upper strata had become detached, and 
some had fallen into the valley below and into the 
rivers, others, catching on projecting ledges, stood as 
if ready to fall; in their fantastic shapes and curious 
positions they looked as if some giants had been there 
at play. 

Crossing the tributary of the Tigris, I entered the 
town of Djezireh, situated on the right bank of the 
Tigris. When I was at Aleppo, I heard that there 
was a revolt at Djezireh, and that a Turkish force had 
been sent to quell it, which had been accomplished 
with considerable bloodshed. I gained no satisfac- 
tory information how far these statements were true, 
but I was advised by some timid people not to go to 


TO MOSUL. 


43 


the town. Djezireh, when I reached it, was quiet 
enough; it was in possession of a large military force, 
and soldiers appeared everywhere. Djezireh is a 
miserable-looking town, its inhabitants are Kurds, 
and are a rough, savage-looking race; but the posi¬ 
tion of the town is very fine, and the scene on every 
side one of varied beauty. Docks, streams, and 
mountains surround it, and in front flows the majestic 
Tigris, beyond which lies Jebel Djudi, with its dark, 
precipitous peaks. The town, however, lies too low, 
and is so shut in that it is not healthy. 

At Djezireh, I saw a madman wandering about the 
streets perfectly naked, and we were here annoyed 
by some dancing boys, a race of professionals peculiar 
to Turkey. In the night, some of the Turkish 
soldiers turned our horses out of the stalls, and 
carried off some of the horse gear. My Swiss com¬ 
panion was unluckily the principal sufferer in this 
robbery; he had all along had great difficulty with 
his animal, which sometimes caused considerable fun 
by the pranks it played him, and now, having lost his 
stirrups, he was still worse off. 

On the 27th we left Djezireh; but I had not got 
used to the native food, and was unwell in conse¬ 
quence, so when we reached Naharwan I halted my 
party and rested until the morning. 

On the 28th we left Naharwan and rode along by 
the river Khabour. We first forded the Hazel, a 
tributary falling into the Khabour from the north, 
and then a little later we forded the Khabour. Both 


44 


FROM LONDON 


these streams are wide, powerful bodies of water, and 
are always forded with difficulty. After crossing the 
Khabour, we travelled along the south bank of the 
river until we reached Zaccho, a compact little town, 
well posted on an island in the middle of the Kha¬ 
bour, and connected with the south by a bridge across 
one arm of the river. There is a strong castle in 
Zaccho, once held by a Kurdish chief, of whose 
murder by a Turkish soldier Layard gives an account 
in his work. It was Friday when I arrived at Zaccho, 
and the Mahometan priest was calling out his prayers 
from the top of the minaret. I noticed then and at 
other times that, bitterly fanatical as the Mahome¬ 
tans are, their public and private prayers are a 
mockery, for which they have no real respect, 
although they seldom neglect them. 

I saw that many of the women of Zaccho were 
bathing in the Khabour, and sitting in the sun on 
the bank to dry themselves, quite regardless of 
passers-by. Having made some purchases in Zaccho, 
I started after dinner to go through the Zaccho pass, 
a romantic passage across the mountain range of 
Jebel Abjad, and on reaching the southern side of 
the range, emerged on the wide plains of Assyria. 
That night I put up at Assi, a village just through 
the pass, and on the next morning went on to Tel 
Addas. My mule driver had been very troublesome 
all the way, and kept declaring that the animals were 
over-driven, especially one mule, which he said was 
worth khamseen lira,” or fifty pounds. On reach- 


TO MOSUL. 


45 


ing Tel Addas, he declared they were being killed, 
and charged me to complete the cruel work by driving 
them at once to Mosul. I said certainly, if he wished 
it, and ordered my horse to be saddled again; but 
when he saw I was in earnest, he begged to stay 
there that night. He then quarrelled with his assis¬ 
tant, and with the villagers, and they took him out¬ 
side, and gave him a sound thrashing. When under¬ 
going this punishment, he kept calling out in most 
submissive tones to my people to come and help him; 
we thought, however, that the lesson would do him 
good. 

Next day (2nd of March) I started before sunrise, 
and arrived about nine in the morning at the ruins 
of Nineveh. I cannot well describe the pleasure with 
which I came in sight of this memorable city, the 
object of so many of my thoughts and hopes. My 
satisfaction was all the greater as I thought that my 
journeys were over, and I had only to set to work in 
order to disinter the treasures I was seeking. 




Chapter IV. 

VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 

Mosul.—The serai.—Turkishpacha.—French consul.—Inscrip¬ 
tion of Vul-nirari.—Baft.—Nimroud.—Kalah Shergat.—Bocks 
and cave.—Tekrit.— Baghdad.— Col. Herbert.— Babylon.—Ba¬ 
bel.—Extent of walls.—Kasr.—Hanging gardens.—BirsNimrud. 
—Seven stages of tower.—Buin of Babylon.—Hymer.—Tel Ibra¬ 
him.—Cutha.—Arab encampment.—Boad to Mosul.—Ervil.— 
The Zab.—The Ghazr.—Ferry. 

N arriving at the ruins of Nineveh, I 
resolved to examine them before going 
into Mosul; but I only went over the 
northern part, and had to leave the 
other portions for the afternoon and subsequent 
visits. 

On the 3rd of March, I called at the serai, or 
government house, which lies outside the city of 
Mosul, towards the south. The serai is a square 
building of two storeys, built round a courtyard, one 
face overlooking the river Tigris. Here I paid my 
respects to the governor, Abdi EfFendi, who had 
just arrived in Mosul. When staying in Aleppo, 
Mr. Skene, the British consul, had given me letters of 



VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


47 


introduction to Shibli Pacha, or Shimli Pacha, 
governor of Mosul; and, before writing, Mr. Skene 
carefully looked in the published lists, to see if the 
pacha was still at Mosul, as Eastern governors are 
continually changed. Shibli, however, was deposed 
before I reached Mosul, and Abdi Effendi appointed 
in his place. In illustration of the ruinous manner in 
which these countries are governed, I may mention 
that there have been nineteen pachas at Aleppo in 
the last seventeen years. When I called on the 
governor of Mosul, I asked for guides to accompany 
me to Kalah Shergat, as I wished to visit that site. 
Abdi Effendi at once stated that he had received 
orders from Baghdad not to allow anyone to inspect 
the sites and ruins in his district, and not to allow any 
collection of antiquities to be obtained. I told him 
that I knew I could not excavate without a firman, 
but I now only wished to see the sites, and he might 
send an agent with me to watch that I did not move 
anything. The pacha was, however, quite unreason¬ 
able about the matter, and declared that he must 
prevent me looking even at the mounds. I could 
not agree with this doctrine, and as we had no repre¬ 
sentative at Mosul, I called on the French consul, to 
ask his advice on the matter. The French consul 
had in his possession at this time a fine stone tablet 
from Kalah Shergat, which he showed me, and he 
asked me what the inscription was about. I examined 
it, and told him that it was a record of Vul-nirari I., 
king of Assyria, b.c. 1320, and as I desired to obtain 


48 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


all the Assyrian antiquities I could get, I arranged 
to purchase the stone of him. 

On the next day I went over the water and ex¬ 
amined the mounds of Nineveh again, and telegraphed 
to England to know if the firman was yet granted 
for excavating. As I obtained no satisfactory in¬ 
formation I resolved to go to Baghdad, and the river 
Tigris being now in flood I directed a raft to be 
constructed to float down the river. The raft was 
composed of skins inflated with air and fastened to 
a frame of rough logs; on one part of this frame a 
rough shelter was raised and covered over with some 
matting; this shelter formed a sort of house in which 
we slept on the journey. 

On the afternoon of the 7th I committed myself to 
this wretched craft and commenced to descend the 
river. As we floated down the Tigris from Mosul 
the gigantic mounds of Kouyunjik and Nebbi Yunas, 
with the ruins of the wall of Nineveh, began to re¬ 
cede from our gaze; and we came in sight of the 
mound of Yaremjah, and later of the mounds of 
Hammum Ali, on the west of the Tigris. On ar¬ 
riving opposite the mound of Nimroud, the scene of 
Layard’s first excavations, I stopped the raft and 
landed to examine the place. It was a long walk 
from the river to the mound, and after examining 
the trenches I turned to go back to the raft, but night 
came on, and I had considerable difficulty in reaching 
the place where it was moored. I resolved to stay 
the night there as the weather was stormy, and 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA . 49 

I very soon found my house on the raft was almost 
useless, the rain coming down and penetrating the 
roof in various places, rendering us very uncomfort¬ 
able. 

Next morning we started the raft, and soon heard 
the noise of the waters falling over the dyke of Nim¬ 
rod. This obstruction in the river consists of an 
artificial dyke or causeway across the Tigris, which 
the natives ascribe to the giant hunter. Over this 



View of Nimroud. 


obstruction the river fell roaring like a cataract, 
but as there was plenty of water in the stream we 
passed it easily. There are several of these obstruc¬ 
tions in the river between Mosul and Tekrit. 

After passing the dyke we saw many mounds on 
both sides of the river; among these were Tel Sharf 
by the Zab, Tel Nazir on the west bank, Ningoub 
and Tel Makook. Several of these mounds have been 
pierced, but no systematic excavations have been 
made. At night a storm came on and we were driven 
on shore. The raft house now proved utterly value- 


E 





50 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


less to keep out the rain, and the wind almost blew 
it down. Next morning we again started, but the 
storm continued, and we arrived at Kalah Shergat in 
a shower of rain. Although the mounds were very 
slippery from the rains, I went on shore and explored 
them under considerable difficulty, but as I did not 
expect to have another opportunity of visiting the site 
I took advantage of this, bad as it was. Kalah Shergat 
is an enormous site, embracing in the circuit of the 
walls over two miles and a-half, while all round this 
centre, mounds are scattered over the plains right away 
to the hills which back it. The ruins are rather tri¬ 
angular in shape, one face lying along the Tigris, and 
at the northern end rises a great pyramidal mound, 
the ruins of the ziggurrat or tower. Between this 
mound and the river Tigris the Turks have built 
a station for their soldiers, and every scrap of brick 
and stone that they could collect on the mounds, they 
have used in this structure. For this reason there is 
very little to be seen on the site. The mounds are 
mainly composed of clay and sun-dried bricks, and all 
the upper portions show numerous signs of later 
occupation. 

I descended the northern face of the mounds and 
went to an encampment of the Shammer Arabs to 
enquire if they knew of any inscriptions, and they 
directed me to the Turkish station, where I saw the 
shaft of a column with a Pehlevi inscription. 

Kalah Shergat marks the site of the city of Assur, 
a place of very great antiquity, which was the capital 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


51 


of Assyria as early as the nineteenth century before 
the Christian era. In the fourteenth century b.c. 
Nineveh began to take its place, and from that time 
Assur gradually declined, but the city continued to 
be a place of considerable importance and often a 
residence of the kings. About b.c. 828 , jealous of the 
rise of Kalah, where Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, had 
fixed his court, the city of Assur revolted in favour of 
his son, Assur-dain-pal, but it was soon after captured 
by the royal army under Samsi-vul, a younger brother 
of the rebel prince, and from this time lost its im¬ 
portance, and is seldom afterwards mentioned. The 
town, however, continued to exist, and was occupied 
long after the Assyrian period. 

Leaving Kalah Shergat, I again descended the 
river, and soon after came to an Assyrian fort on the 
same side of the Tigris. This structure is built of large 
stones and sun-dried bricks, it is now in very ruinous 
condition, and the Tigris is eating away the face next 
the stream. Some of the scenery along the river is 
beautiful, the rocks especially are very fine, one 
of them is crowned by the ruins of an old castle; in 
another place, where the cliffs tower up straight out 
of the stream, there is a cave in the rocks attached to 
which is a curious legend. It is said that a griffin or 
monster in the old times lived in this cave, and took 
human victims from the surrounding districts. The 
wild desolation of the spot, the romantic and inac¬ 
cessible position of the cave, combine to make this 
a fitting place for such a legend. 


52 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA . 


Passing this place on my raft, I watched the Tigris 
roaring and foaming round the fallen masses of rock 
at the foot of the cave, and I could not help remarking 
the striking similarity of this story to one of the 
Izdubar legends. I believe that this is a modern 
version of this ancient story, and that the legend has 
been handed down in this country since the days of 
Izdubar. 

The river was now rapidly rising, and its swelling, 
sweeping flood seemed almost the only thing of 
life in the whole picture, the cities which lined 
its banks are now most of them in ruins, their 
vast mounds the only witnesses of their former 
grandeur; the great races which once lived on its 
shores are replaced by a few wandering Arabs; the 
solitude of the scene, and the remembrance of the 
difference between the past and the present, have a 
depressing effect on the traveller, and he seems also 
exiled from all the life and activity of the world. 
Now and then, as the river pursued its swift and 
silent course, we were startled by a noise like 
thunder, and, turning to see the origin of the com¬ 
motion, found that portions of the banks, undermined 
by the water, had fallen into the stream. 

On the 10th of March we arrived at Tekrit, a 
miserable-looking town on the western bank of the 
Tigris. Here we changed our boatman and made 
a few new purchases for the journey, after which 
we again commenced the descent of the river. The 
character of the scenery now entirely changed; instead 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


53 


of the hills and rocks we had seen in the earlier part 
of our course the country became one dead level of 
alluvium, while the bare and desolate banks gave 
place to extensive plantations and groves of palm 
trees; the stillness of the desert was broken by the 
noise of Arab waterwheels, and signs of life and 
animation became more frequent as we proceeded, 
and at one place a number of Arab women swam 
from the shore to our raft to offer us some milk for 
sale. 

Gliding past the town of Samarah, we saw the 
gilded dome of its mosque glittering in the evening 
sun, and next day reached within four hours of 
Baghdad. Now, however, a strong south wind sprang 
up, and our raft being unable to proceed, we moored 
it along the shore, and on the 12 th of March, engaging 
some horses of an Arab, rode into Baghdad. Our 
road lay along the western bank of the Tigris, and 
for some distance consisted of a desolate wilderness; 
across this now swept a hot south wind, carrying 
with it blinding clouds of sand. On the right hand 
were visible the ruins of the walls of a gigantic 
Babylonian canal, and the lofty tower of Tel Nimroud 
at Akkerkoof. Nearer Baghdad the scene changed, 
and we passed gardens and groves of palms. Here 
the country was well cultivated and had a pleasing 
appearance; there stand near, a village and a Maho- 
medan religious edifice of some sanctity, and I saw 
what very much astonished me—a tramway working 
between the village and Baghdad. Entering the 


54 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


western suburb of Baghdad, I was just in time to 
cross the bridge of boats, which was being taken to 
pieces on account of the flood. I then made my way 
to a khan, and after some refreshment went to pay my 
respects to Colonel Herbert, our representative at 
Baghdad. Colonel Herbert was very kind, and at once 
offered me apartments in the Residency, with every 
assistance in his power towards fulfilling the object I 
had in view. I stayed with Colonel Herbert while at 
Baghdad, and took advantage of his kind offers. He 
assisted in the matter of the firman, procured me 
letters to the authorities, obtained for me guides and 
government orders, and gave me advice about the 
country. 

Baghdad is a city of romantic associations, and in 
my mind was always associated with the stories of 
the “ Arabian Nights.” I think it often happens that 
such cities on inspection do not realize first expecta¬ 
tions, but no complaint can be laid against Baghdad 
on this score. The city is large, and principally built 
on the eastern bank of the Tigris ; there are many fine 
buildings and large bazaars, and outside the town there 
are miles of gardens and abundance of productions. 
From my window in the Residency I enjoyed a charm¬ 
ing prospect; immediately in front was a plantation 
with orange trees, vines, and sweet-smelling plants, 
beyond this a splendid view of the river Tigris then 
in flood, and on the other side of the water a grove 
of palm trees with a primitive Arab machine for 
raising water from the river to irrigate the ground. 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


55 


On my mentioning to Colonel Herbert the difficulties I 
had met with at Mosul, he at once asked the pacha if 
he had issued orders to Mosul that no one should see 
the mounds, and the pacha declared that he had not. 
I cannot of course tell which was wrong, the pacha of 
Baghdad, or the one at Mosul; but I have since got 
used to the issue of orders and their denial or repu¬ 
diation by Turkish officials. 

As soon as I had settled my monetary affairs I set 
to work to obtain antiquities, and see as much as 
possible of the ruins in this region. On the 14th of 
March I purchased several inscriptions, including a 
number of dated tablets of the time of the Baby¬ 
lonian, Persian, and Parthian periods; and the same 
day I started to examine the ruins of Babylon, and 
rested the first night at Anazat. 

Next day I reached Mahawil, and on the 16th of 
March left Mahawil for Babylon. The whole road 
was covered with vestiges of former civilization ; 
mounds could be seen in various directions, and the 
country was intersected by the banks of numerbus 
ancient canals. 

The first ruin at Babylon which we came in sight 
of was the northern collection of mounds, called 
Babil, but sometimes known as the Mujelliba. I 
passed along the eastern side of this ruin, but could 
not reach it there, as a considerable c£nal lay be¬ 
tween the road and the ruin, but I went further 
south and then turned up again to inspect it. This 
ruin is a square mound about 200 yards each way, 


56 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


the sides facing the cardinal points; it is steep and 
lofty, and in one place the south-east corner is said to 
reach a height of 140 feet. The surface is furrowed 
by numerous ravines, and there are traces of cham¬ 
bers, tunnels, and passages in various parts. No 
proper efforts have been made to examine the struc¬ 
ture of this ruin, and in climbing through the old 
trenches and tunnels there is a sense of bewilderment 
and confusion which prevents an accurate survey of 
the indications of buildings. I descended into a 
cutting in the middle of the ruin, at the bottom of 
which lay a large block of stone; while there, part of 
the upper portion of this well fell in, showing the 
insecure condition of the place. This ruin I believe 
covers the remains of the temple of Bel and the great 
tower of Babylon; this mound is surrounded by a 
rampart which I think joined the northern corner of 
the wall of Babylon. Ancient authors have stated 
that Babylon was surrounded by a wall, represented 
by different authorities as from forty to sixty miles 
in circumference; this, however, I think a gross 
exaggeration, for which there is not the slightest 
ground either in the inscriptions or in the present 
remains. I saw remains of what appeared to be 
walls; these have been admirably surveyed by former 
travellers, and I believe indicate a wall about eight 
miles round, making Babylon nearly the same size as 
the sister capital, Nineveh. In shape the city appears 
to have been like a square with one corner cut off, 
and the corners of the walls of the city may be said 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 57 

roughly to front the cardinal points. At the north 
of the city stood the temple of Belus, now represented 
by the mound of Babil; about the middle of the city 
stood the royal palace and hanging gardens, both, I 
believe, represented by the mound of the Kasr. The 
Kasr is a vast mound irregular in height; its sides 
face the cardinal points; it is said to be in some places 
seventy feet above the plain, and is about 700 yards 
in length and breadth. All authorities agree that 
here was situated the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, but 
the hanging gardens have been placed in a different 
position by almost every writer. I have weighed the 
evidence and examined the site, and my own con¬ 
clusion is that they were on the west side of the Kasr 
mound, between the palace and the river Euphrates. 
It is unfortunate that while whole volumes have been 
expended on dissertations and speculations on the 
size and buildings of Babylon, no satisfactory attempt 
has been made to ascertain the truth by excavation. 
The isolated pits and tunnels made here and there 
in the mounds are acknowledged to have had no 
effect on these questions, and the recovery of Babylon 
is yet to be accomplished. 

On the mound of the Kasr there are still to be 
seen beautiful piers and buttresses of fine yellow 
bricks, but nothing has been done to trace the building 
to which they belong. Some writers make them part 
of the palace, but I think it more probable that they 
belong to the hanging gardens. In one of the hollows 
of the northern portion is seen the rough stone lion 


58 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


standing over the figure of a man, which has so often 
been referred to by travellers. Of the solitary tree once 
standing on the mound, by some supposed to be the 
last relic of the celebrated hanging gardens, only the 
trunk remains. Travellers and tourists have pulled 
it to pieces for the sake of having a fragment of the 
wood. 

Passing south of the Kasr, I examined the mound 
of Amram, a large irregular elevation, by some sup¬ 
posed to cover a palace or temple ; it appears, how¬ 
ever, to be only an enormous rubbish heap, and 
probably only marks the spot where the old city was 
most thickly inhabited. Amram promises little or 
nothing to an explorer, the most important places to 
examine being the Babil and Kasr mounds, and the 
walls. From Amram I rode to the bridge of boats, 
and crossed to the western side of Hillah, where I 
took up my quarters at the khan. 

On the 17th of March, I started from Hillah to 
the mound of Birs Nimrud, which lies to the 
south-west. We had scarcely left Hillah, when we 
saw this splendid pile ; but a marsh now extended 
over a large part of the intervening country, and I 
had to travel several miles round its southern edge 
before I could reach the site. Birs Nimrud is one of 
the most imposing ruins in the country; its standing 
in the midst of a vast plain with nothing to break the 
view, makes the height of the ruins more impressive. 
The principal mound rises about 150 ft. above the 
plain; it is in the shape of a pyramid or cone, and at 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


59 


its top stands a solid mass of vitrified bricks. There 
is a splendid view of the country from the top, the 
surrounding towns and ruins being visible for many 
miles. Sir Henry Rawlinson, who examined this 
site, made out that it was a tower in seven stages: 
the lowest stage 272 ft. each way, and 26 ft. in 
height; the second stage was 230 ft. each way, and 
26 ft. high; the third stage was 188 ft. in length 
and breadth, and 26 ft. high ; and the fourth stage 
was 146 ft. each way, but only 15 ft. high. From 
receptacles in the corners of one of these stages, 
Sir Henry Rawlinson obtained inscribed cylinders, 
stating that the building was the temple of the seven 
planets, which had been partially built by a former 
king of Babylon, and, having fallen into decay, was 
restored and completed by Nebuchadnezzar. The 
Birs Nimrud is most probably the Tower of Babel 
of the Book of Genesis. Beside the large mound of 
the tower, there are other vast heaps of lesser eleva¬ 
tion covering the ruins of the buildings and walls of 
the city of Borsippa, within which the temple of the 
seven planets stood. While I was at Birs Nimrud 
there came on a violent storm, which recommenced 
in the night. This weather seriously hindered my 
investigations. 

On the 18th, I again examined the Kasr, and some 
of the smaller ruins of Babylon, and purchased some 
inscriptions from the mounds; but I closed my in¬ 
vestigations with a feeling that the time I had spent 
here was far too short to make a proper examination 


60 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


of the ruins. Before parting with Babylon, I will 
give a short sketch of its history. 

Babylon is said to have existed before the Flood, 
and in the Book of Genesis it is given as the site of 
the tower. The city is first mentioned in the inscrip¬ 
tions of Izdubar at the time when the Babylonian 
monarchy was being formed by the uniting of a number 
of little states. The great building, or rather block 
of buildings, at Babylon consisted of the temples of 
Merodach and Zirat-banit, and the accompanying 
ziggurrat or tower, called the house of the foundation 
of heaven and earth. When these buildings were 
first erected is lost in the obscurity of the past; 
they were restored by a king named Agu or Agu- 
kak-rimi at a very early period, and again by Ham¬ 
murabi, who made Babylon the capital of the whole 
country somewhere in the sixteenth century b.c. 
Babylon was captured by the Assyrians under 
Tugulti-ninip b.c. 1271, and again by Tiglath Pileser 
b.c. 1110. In the ninth century b.c. it was con¬ 
sidered a great sanctuary, and Shalmaneser, king of 
Assyria, came here to offer sacrifice to Bel b.c. 851. 
Babylon was taken by Tiglath Pileser II., king of 
Assyria, b.c. 731, who made himself king of the 
country, and performed a great festival to Bel B. c. 
729-8. The city was captured b.c. 722 by Mero¬ 
dach Baladan, the Chaldean, who held it twelve 
years, until he was expelled by Sargon, who in turn 
ruled the city. On the death of Sargon the city 
passed through various evolutions, and was several 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA . 


61 


times captured by the Assyrians, when at the 
close of the last war between Sennacherib and the 
Babylonians, b.c. 691, the Assyrian monarch cap¬ 
tured the city again and destroyed it. Babylon was 
restored and rebuilt by Esarhaddon, the son of Sen¬ 
nacherib, and was once more besieged and captured 
by Assurbanipal, king of Assyria, b. c. 648. Again 
the city revolted and fell before the Assyrians b. c. 
626, but now it was to enjoy a period of repose and 
prosperity. 

Nabu-pal-uzur, the Nabopolassar of the Greeks, 
who commanded the army in this war, was appointed 
king of Babylon, b.c. 626, and at once commenced 
the restoration of the country. Some time later he 
sent and made an alliance with the Medes, and 
having revolted against Assyria took Nineveh in 
conjunction with the Medes, and at the close of 
his reign sent his son Nebuchadnezzar to conquer 
Syria. While the young prince was on this expe¬ 
dition, Nabopolassar died, and Nebuchadnezzar 
succeeded to his throne. He entirely rebuilt the 
city of Babylon, and made it the most magnificent 
city in the world. The tower and temple of Belus, 
the hanging gardens, the magnificent palace, and the 
walls of the city were all his work, and scarcely a 
ruin exists in the neighbourhood without bricks 
bearing his name. 

A few years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar the 
Babylonian power declined, and Babylon itself was 
taken by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus b. c. 539. 


62 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


After one or two fruitless attempts at revolt, the city 
finally settled down under the Persian dominion, 
and on the defeat of their power passed to Alex¬ 
ander the Great. From this time, whatever changes 
happened in Asia only brought a change of masters, 
and Babylon sank gradually until the city became a 
complete ruin. A little to the south rose the town 
of Hillah, built with the bricks found in the old 
capital. The natives have established a regular 
trade in these bricks for building purposes. A num¬ 
ber of men are always engaged digging out the 
bricks from the ruins, while others convey them to 
the banks of the Euphrates. There they are packed 
in rude boats, which float them down to Hillah; and 
on being landed they are loaded on donkeys and 
taken to any place where building is in progress. 
Every day when at Hillah I used to see this work 
going on as it had gone on for centuries, Babylon thus 
slowly disappearing, without an effort being made to 
ascertain the dimensions and buildings of the city, 
or recover what remains of its monuments. The 
northern portion of the wall, outside the Babil 
mound, is the place where the work of destruction is 
now most actively going on, and this in some places 
has totally disappeared. 

On the 19th of March I left Hillah, and rode out 
into the desert to see the ruins of Hymer. Here 
was a tower in stages similar to that at Birs Nimrud, 
but of much smaller dimensions. Some excava¬ 
tions had been made with no result, the place, as 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


63 


usual, not having been investigated on any scientific 
plan. One of our party found here a fragment of 
alabaster, with a cuneiform inscription. From this 
ruin I rode to an enormous site, named Tel Ibrahim, 
the principal mound at which is three-quarters of a 
mile long. It is in a crescent form, with a smaller 
mound lying in the hollow. I saw walls and 
masses of brickwork protruding from heaps of rub¬ 
bish in various places. Sir Henry Rawlinson had 
identified the mounds of Tel Ibrahim as the site of 
Cutha, the great seat of the worship of Nergal. 

Leaving Tel Ibrahim, I crossed a trackless desert, 
covered with numerous ruins, and intersected by the 
dry beds of ancient canals; it is now a waterless 
waste, with a few dry plants and flocks of locusts. 
As we proceeded, the mirage raised on the horizon 
deceptive appearances of gigantic ruins and great 
rivers, which vanished as we approached, and the sun 
went down before we reached any shelter. After 
sunset the lights of various Arab encampments were 
seen in the distance, and riding up to one of these, I 
asked a shelter for the night. This the Arabs re¬ 
fused, but they sent on two men to guide us to 
another encampment. Here also they refused my 
party shelter, so we lay down in the open beside the 
encampment. We purchased a kid of the Arabs, and 
made a supper, and, the night being cold, we got up a 
good fire; but in the morning I was astonished to 
find that my pillow, and the waterproof with which I 
had covered my bed were quite wet with the dew. 


64 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


Unable to get water to wash, or breakfast, I started 
on the 20th before sunrise, and we found our way 
with considerable difficulty. We passed an Arab 
tribe migrating for pasture—a curious sight, camels, 
horses, and sheep, men and women, with all their 
furniture and effects, on the move. About midday 
we reached a station, and obtained some refreshment, 
and rode in the afternoon to Baghdad. I now 
examined some interesting inscriptions belonging to 
Michael Minas, the British vice-consul at Baghdad, 
which he has since presented to Sir Henry Rawlin- 
son. 

On the 22nd, I had an interesting visit to the 
Indian prince resident at Baghdad. He is a most 
hospitable and excellent man, well known in these 
parts for his kindness and generosity. Soon after this 
I heard that the firman was granted, and having my 
powers, I at once made preparations for starting, as I 
wished to reach Mosul and commence excavations as 
soon as possible. I had some difficulty in procuring 
animals for the journey, but ultimately made arrange¬ 
ments to go by post horses, and started in the after¬ 
noon, after bidding farewell to my hospitable friends 
at Baghdad. I left this part of the country with 
great regret, as I was far more desirous of excavating 
here than in Assyria. Babylonia is the older and 
richer country, and is a field not worked nearly so 
much as Assyria. 

I left Baghdad on the 27th of March, at three 
o’clock in the afternoon, and rode to the first station, 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


65 


Gededa. Here there was no change of horses, so I 
went on at once to Naharwan, the next stage. This 
portion of the journey was travelled in the night, and 
under considerable difficulties. I rode a very good 
horse, but the driver of the luggage had a vicious 
animal, which upset the caravan by kicking over the 
luggage horse, and breaking my largest box. I was 
forced to exchange animals with the driver before we 
could again proceed, and my new horse gave me a 
most uncomfortable time, the result being that it was 
four o’clock in the morning before we reached Nahar¬ 
wan. Here, after a rest, I once more started, and 
rode to Delli Abas. On the 29th, I left Delli Abas, 
and rode in the morning to Kufre. After some re¬ 
freshment at Kufre, I travelled in the afternoon to 
Karatapa. The people of the post-station at Kara- 
tapa tried to persuade me to stay the night there, as 
they said there was a flooded river between that 
place and the next station which was very difficult 
to pass. I declined to listen to them, and started 
about eight in the evening. The country across 
which I travelled here is in general a wide plain 
bounded on the east by mountain ranges, which are 
the sources of numerous rivers. These rivers take in 
general a southern or south-western direction, and 
cross the plain to fall into the Tigris. During the 
spring, the period of the year at which I was travel¬ 
ling, these streams are generally flooded by the melt¬ 
ing snows of the mountains and the rains, and form 
serious obstacles in crossing the country. The Turkish 


F 


66 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


government has not bridged these waters, or con¬ 
structed proper roads, and even at Baghdad, the 
capital of Turkish Arabia, there is only a bridge of 
boats. 

On the night of the 29th, after leaving Karatapa, a 
heavy storm came on, and, as it was quite dark, I 
was astonished at our guides keeping the proper 
road. The echo of the thunder seemed to come from 
the mountains on our right, and roll across the vast 
plain with a desolate, empty sound, peculiar to these 
vast solitudes. The lightning vividly lit up the 
scene from time to time, showing us for the moment 
the features of the country, but only to deepen by 
contrast the darkness which followed. 

About one o’clock in the morning we heard the 
roaring of the flood, and soon reached the river we 
had been told of. After riding some little distance 
along the bank, we came to a place where the river 
spreads out like a fan, and is divided by three islands 
into four channels, each as wide as a good-sized river. 
Here we crossed the stream, and then made our way 
to Kormata, where we lay down in the courtyard of 
the post-house until the morning. On the 30th, I 
had a bad headache, and only rode a single stage to 
Taou. The weather was very unfavourable, and the 
road in a bad state. On the 31st of March, I left 
Taou, and rode to Kerkook, intending to go on to 
Altun Kupri; but, after starting from Kerkook, I was 
driven back by the weather. A furious storm came 
on, and being soon wet through, we turned back, and 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


67 


waited until the morning. There is a considerable 
mound at Kerkook, and I was offered an inscription 
of Nebuchadnezzar found here. On the 1st of April 
I started for Altun Kupri, and soon reached it. Here 
there was again difficulty from the water. The river 
of the lower or lesser Zab, which passes here, is 
divided into two streams by an island, on which 
stands the town of Altun Kupri. There is a steep 
bridge of one arch, which connects the town with the 
south. This we crossed, and then awaited the pre¬ 
paration of a raft to cross the other branch of the 
river. As soon as this was ready we got off, and 
started for Ervil. It is a long stage between Altun 
Kupri and Ervil, and we arrived at the latter place 
after dark. Ervil is the site of the Assyrian city of 
Arbela, and in the plains outside it was fought the 
great battle between Alexander and Darius. I had 
no time to examine the place, but I saw in passing 
that there were mounds rivalling in size those of the 
Assyrian capital. Over the principal mound a 
Turkish fortress is built, which would make it diffi¬ 
cult to excavate here; but as Arbela was a great 
city, much may be expected here whenever it is 
explored. 

On the 2nd of April I left Ervil to ride to the 
post-station of Zab, on the river of that name. The 
Zab, a rapid, strong stream, was much swollen by the 
rains, and again presented a difficulty as to crossing. 
It was a long time before we could get a raft, and the 
passage was difficult on account of the swiftness of 


68 


VISIT TO BABYLONIA. 


the stream. Once over the water, I started for Mosul, 
and accomplished the distance in three hours and 
three-quarters. On the way I passed the swollen 
stream of the Ghazr, a tributary of the Zab. This 
water was so deep that my horses had to be led 
through the stream by naked Arabs, the river reach¬ 
ing nearly to the backs of the animals. Passing 
through the outskirts of Nineveh, I now once more 
came in sight of the mounds of that capital, and the 
town of Mosul. We rode through the ruins of the 
great gate of Nineveh, past the mound of Nebbi 
Yunas, and to the junction of the Khosr and Tigris, 
where the ferry boats were kept, for the flood of the 
Tigris was so great that the bridge of boats was re¬ 
moved. All the ferrymen had gone home, and after 
a vain attempt to get assistance we turned back, and 
went to the stone bridge which juts into the Tigris, 
but does not go right across the river. Here we fired 
a pistol, and did what we could to awaken the watch¬ 
man, but it was three hours before we got a boat to 
ferry us over the river. 



Chapter V. 

EXCAVATIONS AT NIMROUD. 

Toma Shishman—The mound.—Tower.—Palaces.—History. 
—Temple of Nebo.—South-west Palace.—Model of hand.—South¬ 
east palace.—Painted wall—Winged figures.—Graves._House 

building.—Arab entertainment.—Close excavations. 

N the 3rd of April I resolved to com¬ 
mence excavations on the mound of 
Nimroud, and the same day I was 
visited by Toma Shishman, or Toma 
the Fat, who had been superintendent of the work¬ 
men under Mr. Layard. Toma was well worthy of 
the epithet attached to his name, being very fat and 
short-winded; he did not look at all a serviceable 
superintendent, but he boasted grand things about 
his knowledge of the mound and its contents. He 
had seen where everything came from, and was pre¬ 
pared to find tablets, inscriptions, or sculptures, in 
fact, whatever I liked. Toma said I could not find 
anything, he was sure, without his assistance, and 
he was rather astonished when I showed him some 
inscriptions. I got rid of him by telling him I would 



70 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMROUD. 


engage him as soon as I commenced at Kouyunjik, 
but at present I intended working at Nimroud. Toma 
returned to the charge next day, and visited me every 
day until I left for Nimroud. 

On the 4th I called on the pacha to present my 
letters and orders and acquaint him with my plans; 
he now took a different turn and professed great 
friendship, offering me every assistance in his power. 
The preparation of tools and material for the work 
occupied some days, and in the meantime I rode over 
to Nimroud on the night of the 5th of April, and 
next day inspected the mound. The mounds of 
Nimroud represent the Assyrian city of Calah; they 
consist of an oblong enclosure formed by the walls of 
the city, and a mound in the south-west corner which 
covered the palaces and temples. The palace mound 
is the principal ruin, and to this I directed my atten¬ 
tion ; its length is about six hundred yards from north 
to south, and it is about four hundred yards in 
breadth from west to east. At the north-west corner 
of the mound stands a lofty cone 140 ft. in height; 
this covers the ruins of the great ziggurrat or tower 
of Calah, which was excavated by Mr. Layard and 
found to be square at the base, faced with hewn 
stone for a height of 20 ft., and 167 ft. 6 in. each 
way. The northern and western faces show rude 
piers and some ornamentation. Entering a tunnel in 
the eastern face of the cone, I made my way through 
a succession of galleries in the base of the building, 
but these are now in a dangerous condition from the 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 71 

fall of portions of the roofs. Excepting for these gal¬ 
leries the whole structure appears to have been solid, 
the body built of sun-dried bricks, cased at the 
bottom with stone, and above with burnt bricks. 
South of the pyramid lies a ravine, and crossing this 
we arrive at the north-west palace, one of the most 
complete and perfect Assyrian buildings known. 
This palace is about 350 ft. in length and breadth, 
and consists of a central court 120 ft. by 90 ft., sur¬ 
rounded by a number of halls and chambers, the 
principal entrance being on the north. The trenches 
excavated here by Mr. Layard are still partially open, 
and the gigantic winged human-headed bulls and 
lions at the entrances, the mythological scenes and 
processions, figures of the king and attendants, may 
be seen in their places; and many of the chambers 
can be traced. South of this ruin are some trenches 
with a few fragments representing what Mr. Layard 
calls the upper chambers, and east of this lie the 
ruins of the centre palace, also in a very dilapidated 
condition. Nothing can now be traced of the plan of 
these structures. 

Crossing another ravine, which forms the princi¬ 
pal ascent to the mound from the west, we come 
to the south-west palace, a building unfinished; 
the sculptures found in it belonging to earlier 
palaces, and having been transported here to be 
recarved for the new one. Some of the sculptures 
were placed with their face to the wall, and others 
upside down. Many of these sculptures can be seen, 


72 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 


especially at the southern part of the building, and 
evidently come from the north-west and centre 
palaces. 

East of the south-west palace, across another 
ravine, are the ruins of the south-east palace, an 
inferior building to the others, few of the walls 
being faced with stone, and none of them sculptured. 
Passing northward from the south-east palace, we 
come to the remains of the temple of Nebo, at the 
entrance of which stand two colossal statues of the 
deity. Next, to the north of this are the ruins of the 
causeway leading up from the city on to the mound, 
and past this is a space with no building, which was 
probably laid out in gardens; outside this space, to¬ 
wards the city, stood a wall which shut in the palaces 
from the gaze of the people. North of this space we 
come to two temples, one of which lays towards the 
east ornamented at the entrance by two lions, one now 
in the British Museum, the other remaining in its 
place. The other temple joins the south-east corner 
of the tower, and its entrance is guarded by two 
winged human-headed lions. 

The Assyrian city of Calah, now represented by 
the mounds of Nimroud, is said to have been founded 
by Nimrod, but of this original city nothing is known. 
A city was at a later period built on the spot by Shal¬ 
maneser I., king of Assyria, b . c . 1300, but this after¬ 
wards fell into decay, and was destroyed during the 
subsequent troubles which came on the Assyrian 
empire. Assur-nazir-pal, who ascended the Assyrian 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMROUD. 


73 


throne b.c. 885, resolved to rebuild the city; and 
bringing numbers of captives taken during his wars, 
he set them to work to rebuild Calah, and then 
settled them there to inhabit it. The north-west 
palace and the temples near the tower were the work 
of this king, and from these came most of the fine 
Nimroud sculptures in the British Museum. Shal¬ 
maneser II., king of Assyria, succeeded his father 
Assur-nazir-pal b.c. 860. He built the centre palace 
and the base at least of the south-east palace. Vul- 
nirari III., his grandson, b.c. 812, built the upper 
chambers and the temple of Nebo; and Tiglath 
Pileser II., b.c. 745, rebuilt the centre palace. Sargon, 
king of Assyria, b.c. 722, restored the north-west 
palace, and his grandson, Esarhaddon, b.c. 681, built 
the south-west palace. Lastly, the grandson of Esar¬ 
haddon, Assur-ebil-ili, the last king of Assyria, rebuilt 
the temple of Nebo just before the destruction of the 
Assyrian empire. Thus the city of Calah possessed 
buildings of all the best periods of Assyrian history, 
and during a considerable part of the time it was the 
rival of the city of Nineveh. 

My first excavations at Nimroud were undertaken 
on a small scale, as I was awaiting the receipt of some 
money, and I commenced at the temple of Nebo. 
Here I discovered some inscriptions, but they were 
most of them duplicates of texts already known, 
belonging to Shalmaneser II., b.c. 860, and Assur- 
ebil-ili, b.c. 620. Excepting the stone basement of 
the temple and a few chambers round it, the whole 


74 EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 

was in a ruinous condition. After the city had declined, 
this part of the mound appears to have been used as 
a granary. An excavation had been made on the 
eastern face, and a large tunnel burrowed through 
the walls and chambers on this side. This tunnel I 
found packed with grain, black and rotten from age. 
In the central part excavations had been made for 
tombs, and these had also destroyed considerable 
portions of the temple. This part of the mound had 
evidently been founded by Shalmaneser II., b.c. 860, 
but the temple was mainly the work of his grandson, 
Yul-nirari III., b.c. 812. The front and more pro¬ 
minent parts of the building were of large squared 
blocks of stone at bottom and sun-dried bricks above. 
On each side of the entrance stood a colossal figure 
of Nebo with crossed arms, in an attitude of medita¬ 
tion. Inside the building were found during the 
former excavations four smaller figures of the god 
with inscriptions round the dress stating that they 
were erected by the governor of Calah in honour of 
the king Yul-nirari (b.c. 812) and his wife, the queen 
Sammuramat (Semiramis). Here was also found a 
monolith of the Assyrian king Samsi-vul, b.c. 825, 
which properly belonged to the temple of Ninip. 
My principal purpose in excavating on this spot was 
to obtain some additional fragments of the reign of 
Tiglath Pileser II., b.c. 745, and in one of the eastern 
chambers, just beside a fallen wall of kiln-burnt 
bricks, I came on the upper portion of a tablet of this 
monarch. I immediately searched the neighbour- 


EXGAVATION8 AT NIMBOUD. 75 

hood to find any other portion that might be there, 
but there was no other fragment of the inscription 
near. When passing along a tunnel cut through 
the main wall of the temple by some former excavator, 
a terra-cotta model of a hand which had once been 
embedded in the upper part of the wall fell from the 
roof of the tunnel, and I subsequently found here a 
second of these objects. Some fragments of winged 
figures and inscriptions also turned up, but nothing 
of great interest except the Tiglath Pileser inscrip¬ 
tion. 

I excavated on the northern portion of the south¬ 
west palace principally to verify fragmentary texts 
already known; having uncovered these I took paper 
impressions and copies, but undertook no other work 
in this direction. Many of the inscriptions in the 
south-west palace have suffered very much since the 
excavations of Mr. Layard. 

At the conical mound marking the site of the 
ziggurrat or tower, I resolved to search for the 
foundation cylinders ; but when I came to examine 
the structure, I had very little hope of finding them. 
During the former excavations at Nimroud, unsuc¬ 
cessful efforts had been made to find these cylinders, 
and great tunnels had been driven into the solid 
brickwork at each corner in search of them. I tried 
all these places again, and with equal want of suc¬ 
cess. Incidentally, from the remains on the southern 
face exposed during these operations, I came to the 
conclusion that there was a flight of steps on that 


76 EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 

side leading up to the tower. Most of my trenches 
in the tower were, however, fruitless, only solid 
masses of sun-dried brick being met with. I selected 
the north-west corner for a more systematic effort, 
and had some machinery constructed for lowering 
men and material. I then sank a well inside the 
stone facing of the tower, and nearly reached the 
base of the structure, but no cylinder was found. 
Under these circumstances, I am compelled to sup¬ 
pose that the cylinders were higher up in the tower, 
and were lost at the time the casing of burnt 
bricks fell from the building. The stone basement 
of the tower reaches to a height of 20 ft., but about 
the line of the stonework it was faced with fine kiln- 
burnt bricks. Most of this brick facing has fallen, 
and subsequent inhabitants of these regions have 
used them in various later structures. 

While I was working at Nimroud one of the men 
said that the rain had exposed the corner of a slab 
by the north-west palace, and I sent a party of 
workmen to investigate the spot; but the slab was 
only plain. In clearing the ground by the slab, the 
ruin of a brick wall was exposed. This wall was 
partly broken down, and in clearing away the rub¬ 
bish there appeared a model of a fist planted upright 
in the wall, embedded in mortar between the bricks. 
On the fingers of the fist was an inscription of Assur- 
nazir-pal, king of Assyria, b.c. 885. 

In the south-east palace I instituted systematic 
excavations, and discovered several chambers. On 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 77 

examining this part of the mound, I saw a con¬ 
siderable tunnel in the south face, commencing on 
the sloping part of the mound. This tunnel ap¬ 
peared to go along the middle of a chamber, the 
floor having been cut through and appearing in a 
line on each side of the tunnel. Further on, the 
tunnel reached the wall at the end of the chamber, 
and the face of this had been cleared for some little 
distance; then, descending below the foundation of 
this wall, the tunnel ran for some distance into the 
base of the mound. I commenced on the two sides 
of this cutting, and cleared away to the level of the 
pavement, soon coming to the wall on each side. 
The earth I cleared out of the chambers I threw 
down the old tunnel to fill that up. The southern 
wall of the chamber had fallen over into the plain, as 
it was here close to the edge of the platform, and 
the chamber commenced with two parallel walls 
running north and south. The right-hand wall, in a 
place near the edge where it was much broken down, 
showed three steps of an ascent which had gone 
apparently to some upper chambers. Further on, it 
showed two recesses, each ornamented on both sides 
with three square pilasters. The left hand showed 
an entrance into a second chamber, running east to 
west, and from this turned a third, going parallel 
with the first. Altogether in this place I opened six 
chambers, all of the same character ; the entrances 
ornamented by clusters of square pilasters and 
recesses in the rooms in the same style. The walls 


78 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMEOUD. 


were coloured in horizontal bands of red, green, and 
yellow on plaster ; and where the lower parts of the 
chambers were panelled with small stone slabs, the 
plaster and colours were continued over these. In one 
of these rooms there appeared a brick receptacle let 
into the floor, and on lifting the brick which covered 
this, I found six terra-cotta winged figures, closely 



packed in the receptacle. Each figure was full- 
faced, having a head like a lion, four wings, with one 
hand across the breast, holding a basket in the other, 
and clothed in a long dress to the feet. These 
figures were probably intended to preserve the 
building against the power of evil spirits. One of 
the chambers to the east of my first trench opened into 
a square apartment paved with slabs of stone, and 
walled round with the same material. This place, 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 79 

which was on the edge of the mound, appears to 
have been used for domestic offices. There was a 
circular hole in one of the pavement slabs, which 
opened into a drain, and I found that this and a 
second drain both passed along in an easterly direc¬ 
tion, and traversed the south front of the palace to 
the south-east corner. Here the mound and the 
drains turned, forming a circular end, and from 
these the drains ran along the east face of the 
mound. At the circular corner (the south-east 
corner) of the mound, I found a fragment of the 
outer wall. This consisted of bricks enamelled and 
painted over with war scenes. The fragment I 
found has the figure of a warrior, and part of the 
wheel of a chariot. Over the scene was part of 
an inscription in painted characters, the word 
“ warriors ” still remaining. In the chambers little 
was found of the Assyrian period. I obtained some 
pottery, a plain bronze dish, part of a terra-cotta 
model, and numbers of large terra-cotta beads. The 
ornamentation of the south-east palace, and the 
nature of the few objects found in its chambers, led 
me to the conclusion that it was a private building 
for the wives and families of the kings. I had been 
quite uncertain as to the date, until, on opening the 
drains which went round the palace, I found the 
bricks were inscribed on the under side with a 
legend of Shalmaneser II., b.c. 860, who must have 
been the builder of this palace. 

While excavating here, I ran several trenches 


80 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 


through the space between the south-east and south¬ 
west palaces ; but the buildings here were totally 
destroyed. Fragments of elaborate carved pave¬ 
ments, wall plaster with paintings in the Egyptian 
style, portions of winged bulls and sculpture, were 
all that turned up, and I did not obtain any plan or 
idea of the buildings in this part. 

In the centre of the mound I made some slight 
excavations ; but my operations closed before any¬ 
thing of interest was discovered. 

All the eastern and southern portions of the 
mound of Nimroud have been destroyed by being 
made a burial-place. The ruins had been excavated 
after the fall of the Assyrian empire, walls had been 
dug through, and chambers broken into, and the 
openings filled up with coffins. These coffins were 
various in shape, not two being alike. Most of them 
were so short, that the bodies had to be doubled up 
to get them in. The coffins were of terra-cottft, 
some of them ornamented and painted; but com¬ 
moner graves of the same period only contained 
large jars or urns in which the remains were packed, 
the poorest being buried without any covering at all. 
Generally the coffins were covered with one or two 
stone slabs from the neighbouring palaces, and then 
closed up with large sun-dried bricks. These burials 
are of all ages ; some I opened belonged to the 
period of the successor of Alexander the Great, in 
the third century b.c. From the tombs I obtained 
beads and ornaments, rings, bracelets, &c. 























EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOVB. 


81 


When I commenced excavations at Nimroud on 
the 9th of April, I lodged in the house of a man of 
influence among the Arabs here, named Udder. His 
wife was a woman of some intelligence for an Arab, 
and was continually blessing her husband with addi¬ 
tions to his family. The young olive-branches lived 
about the place like so many pigs, any washing or 
attention being quite out of the question. Their 
mother, whose name was Tiha, remembers Mr. 
Layard very well. During the time this great 
explorer was in these parts Tiha was much younger, 
of course, and was then accounted one of the beauties 
of the place. The tribe to which these people belong 
is the Shematteh, and they inhabited in Layard’s 
time the village of Nimroud, but since the excava¬ 
tions had ceased the village had declined and the 
people had abandoned it. In 1872 some of the 
people returned, and others were coming back when 
I was excavating. These families were patching up 
all the old huts and making the place available for 
their services. 

I desired to have a house more to myself after 
a while, and therefore ordered the men to build me a 
place on the mound. First of all I traced on a spot 
chosen for the purpose the plan of my house, then 
the men appointed roved about over the mound and 
collected all sorts of fragments of old bricks and 
stones. I had to look sharp after them to prevent 
them from taking anything of consequence, and some¬ 
times, after all my trouble, I found they had got 
G 


82 EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 

hold of a valuable inscription or other antiquity and 
were about to wall it up in the house. With the 
fragments they gathered from the mound they joined 
a collection of sun-dried bricks brought from the old 
village of Nimroud. A donkey was regularly em¬ 
ployed so many times a day transporting these 
materials, and after they were collected I laid the 
foundation of the walls by placing rows of bricks 
on the lines I had drawn. The builders then made 
some Arab mortar; and for this purpose they dug 
up and turned over a large square of ground. Next, 
donkey-loads of dung and skins full of water were 
brought and well mixed in this space, the workmen 
taking off their clothes and stirring up the pudding 
with their hands and feet. In building the walls 
the stones and bricks were laid in position and then 
well bedded in this mortar—all these operations 
being executed by hand. When the walls were 
high enough to serve as screens from my obser¬ 
vation and the heat of the sun, the workmen would 
lie down behind them and smoke their pipes, and 
I sometimes caught the whole party so engaged. 
After the walls were finished preparations were 
made for roofing, and for this purpose the whole 
party went off on an excursion to the banks of the 
Zab, taking several donkeys with them, which they 
loaded with brushwood cut from the vicinity of the 
river. They were some days over this, and then 
made a fresh mud-pie to bind together the brush¬ 
wood. This made a very good top, and it was 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 83 

levelled for walking on by spreading on the surface 
the usual mixture of dung and wet clay. An out¬ 
side staircase to reach the roof, and some wooden 
doors which I had made in Mosul, completed the 
structure, which internally consisted of four rooms, 
and formed a very convenient residence for this 
country. 

During my excavations at Nimroud I was some¬ 
times annoyed by parties of the Jebour Arabs bent 
on forcing their services on me, or determined on 
plunder. In order to prevent the jealousy and dis¬ 
putes which sometimes arose I chose my workmen 
as far as possible from all the different tribes in the 
neighbourhood, from the Shematteh or people of 
Nimroud, the Jehaish or people of Naifa, a village 
just by the Tigris, the inhabitants of the village of 
Selamiyeh, and some of the Jebours. 

On the 28th of April a party of Turkish military 
officers visited the mounds, and after I had shown 
them over the excavations we were escorted to the 
village of Nimroud by my workmen, who engaged in 
mock combats with sword, shield, and spear, for the 
amusement of my visitors. Later in the evening 
I went out with a guard of honour, and visited the 
doctors on their raft, which was moored by the bank 
of the river. After my return to the village the 
Arabs made up a musical entertainment opposite the 
door of the house where I was staying. The men 
of the village sat down in a circle, reserving the 
interior space for the performers. All the per- 


84 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMROUD. 


formers were men and boys, the women looking 
on from a distance. The entertainment began 
by one of the musicians starting a song, which 
was taken up by the others and accompanied by 
clapping of hands. The singing was succeeded by 
dancing in a slow Arabic fashion; it should, how¬ 
ever, rather be described as capering about, for the 
great point appeared to be, to show as much action of 
the arms and legs as possible. After this followed 
some peculiar performances by two men, and then a 
dusky little Arab boy, quite naked, leaped into the 
ring and commenced springing about, all the by¬ 
standers attempting to strike him. He avoided these 
blows and leaped about the ring in all directions, 
to the great amusement of the assembled Arabs. 
Songs, dances, and performances succeeded each other 
after this until a late hour, when I retired from the 
meeting, and the Arabs broke up their party. 

Toma Shishman, who had visited me at Mosul, 
being anxious for employment, got a passage on a 
raft passing down the Tigris and landed opposite 
Nimroud to call on me. I had already promised to 
employ him as soon as I opened excavations at Kou- 
yunjik, and he feared I had forgotten this. One day, 
while I was engaged on the mound of Nimroud, he 
came to me and brought a petition written out for 
him in fair English by a Chaldean priest at Mosul. 
This petition set forth that he, Toma, had served 
Mr. Layard during the former excavations in the 
capacity of chief of the workmen, and since then he 


EXCAVATIONS AT NIMBOUD. 


85 


had been reduced in fortune and was now anxious 
to serve me in the same capacity. As I intended to 
work at Kouyunjik I engaged Toma from the 1st 
of May, and directed him to proceed to Mosul and 
get together a body of workmen to commence exca¬ 
vations at Kouyunjik. 

The distance from Nimroud to Mosul is about 
twenty miles by road, and I had to provide for 
Toma an animal to ride upon. I found some dif¬ 
ficulty in this, as Toma was fat, heavy, and unwieldy, 
and people did not care about his riding their don¬ 
keys so far. At last I succeeded in getting him an 
ass, and, setting him on it, packed him off to Mosul. 
The animal bore his weight for some time, but about 
the middle of the journey fell, making Toma kiss the 
ground. Toma declared himself much shaken, and 
on arriving at Mosul laid up, instead of engaging 
the men for me. 

I stayed at Nimroud until the 4th of May, and then, 
after the workmen had finished, I started to ride 
during the night to Mosul. At this time the days 
were very hot and travelling by night was pleasant, 
and after an easy journey I reached the bridge of 
Mosul, to find, as before, neither bridge nor ferry for 
crossing to the town. I was so drowsy with my 
ride that I sat down on the stonework where the 
permanent bridge ends, and fell asleep while waiting 
for the ferry. In the morning I was ferried over to 
Mosul, and on the 8th of May I sent and closed the 
excavations at Nimroud. 


Chapter VI. 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 


Wall of Nineveh.—Northern gate.—The Khosr.—Great gate. 
—Nebbi Yunas.—Kouyunjik.—Palaces.—History.—Capture of 
Nineveh.—Library.—Hammum Ali.—North palace, Kouyunjik. 
—Law tablet.—Deluge fragment.—Discoveries.—Khorsabad.— 
Orders to close.—Syllabary.—Visit to Nimroud. 



’HEN I arrived at Mosul I was astonished 
| to find Toma had done nothing, and 
\ I set to work to get men and prepare 
for the excavation. 


Toma’s excuse was that the joss (donkey) on which 
he rode from Nimroud had shaken him so much in the 
fall that he had been ill ever since; but when he saw 
that I engaged men without his intervention he began 
to fear I might exclude him from the work, and he 
soon collected a body of men, and when I came to 
the mound on the 7th of May I found Toma bringing 
his workmen to the spot. 

The ruins opposite the town of Mosul, which mark 
the site of Nineveh, will be best understood by the 
aid of the accompanying plan. 



ENGLISH MILE. 


ROADS ARE MARKED 
THUS .—. 


A Northern Gate. 

B North Palace. 

C South West Palace. 

D Village of Nebbi Yunas. 
E Burial Ground. 

F Great Gate. 


Plan of the Site of Nineveh. 


/ 











































































































































































' 
















































































EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK . 


87 


The ruins of Nineveh are situated on the eastern 
bank of the Tigris; they consist now of a large enclo¬ 
sure covered with low mounds surrounded by the ruins 
of a magnificent wall, about eight miles in circuit, 
and broken on the western side by two great arti¬ 
ficial mounds, Kouyunjik or Tel Armush, and 
Nebbi Yunas. Through the middle of the city 
flows the stream of the Khosr, entering through 
the eastern wall and passing out through the western 
wall by the southern corner of the mound of Kou¬ 
yunjik. 

The mounds of the wall of Nineveh are said to be 
in some places even now nearly 50 ft. high, while 
the breadth of the debris at the foot is from 100 ft. 
to 200 ft. 

Diodorus states that the walls of Nineveh were 
100 ft. high, which was probably not beyond the 
truth; but, as the upper part of the wall is every¬ 
where destroyed, it is impossible to prove the matter 
at present. The breadth of the wall was probably 
50 ft.—excavation, however, might determine this 
with certainty. 

The western face of the wall of Nineveh is over 
two and a half miles long; it faces towards the town 
of Mosul and the river Tigris. At the northern and 
southern corners the river closely approaches the 
wall, but between the two points the Tigris bends 
out to the west, making a bow-shaped flat of land 
about a mile broad between the Avail and the river. 
On the western side, with their outer border in a line 


$8 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYTJNJIK. 

with the wall, lie the two palace mounds called Kou- 
yunjik and Nebbi Yunas, to be described later. 

Where the western wall at its northern corner 
abuts on the Tigris it is joined by the northern wall, 
which is about a mile and one-third long. There is 
a considerable mound in one part of this wall, which 
marks the site of a tower and of the great northern 
gate of Nineveh. The entrance, which was excavated 
by Mr. Layard, is adorned by colossal winged bulls 
and mythological figures, and paved with large slabs 
of limestone; it appears to have been under the 
centre of the tower, which had a depth from front to 
back of 130 ft. The northern wall is continued 
from the north-eastern corner by the eastern wall, 
which is three and a-quarter miles long. Nearly 
half way along this side the wall is broken by the 
stream of the Khosr, which, coming from the east, 
passes right through the site of Nineveh and runs 
into the Tigris. Where the stream of the Khosr 
breaks through the wall the floods have destroyed 
a portion of the defences; enough remains, however, 
to show that the lower part of the wall in this part is 
built of large blocks of stone, probably to resist the 
water; and in the river itself, in a line with the wall, 
stand fragmentary blocks of solid masonry, which 
Captain Jones, who made the best survey of the 
ruins, considers to be remains of a dam to turn 
the Khosr into the ditch. I am rather inclined to 
think that they are part of a bridge over which the 
wall was carried. 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYTJNJIK. 


89 


South of the Khosr, where the road to Ervil and 
Baghdad passes through the eastern wall, stands a 
double mound, marking the site of the Great Gate of 
Nineveh, the scene of so many triumphal entries and 
pageants of the Assyrian kings. 

As this was the grandest gate in the wall of 
Nineveh, it would be an important spot to excavate. 
Outside the eastern wall Nineveh was shielded by 
four walls and three moats, making this side of the 
fortification exceptionally ^strong. The eastern and 
western walls are connected at their southern extre¬ 
mities by the south wall, which is the shortest and 
least important of the defences of Nineveh, measuring 
little more than half a mile in length. 

The two palace mounds, called Kouyunjik and 
Nebbi Yunas, are situated on the western side of the 
city, and at one time joined the wall. Nebbi Yunas 
is a triangular-shaped mound, crowned by a village 
and burying-ground. t It is called Nebbi Yunas from 
the supposed tomb of Jonah, over which a mosque is 
erected. 

Excavations were made here by Mr. Layard, and 
afterwards by the Turkish government. The works 
showed the existence of palaces here, the first built 
by Yul-nirari, b.c. 812, the next by Sennacherib, b.c. 
705, who, after finishing his great palace on the 
Kouyunjik mound, built a new one here late in his 
reign. From this building came the fine memorial 
cylinder, with the account of the expedition against 
Hezekiah, king of Judah. The third palace at Nebbi 


90 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 


Yunas was built by Esarhaddon, son of Sennacherib, 
b.c. 681, and from here came three memorial cylin¬ 
ders, containing the history of this reign. North of 
Nebbi Yunas, just above the stream of the Khosr, 
lies the largest mound, on the site of Nineveh, Kou- 
yunjik. 

The eastern and southern faces of the mound, from 
the north-east to the south-west corner, are bounded 
by the stream of the Khosr, which has been artificially 
diverted to flow round it. The mound at one time 
was surrounded by a casing of large squared stones, 
and some former excavator had cleared a consider¬ 
able space of this facing at the northern part of the 
mound. The Turks have since built a bridge part of 
the way across the Tigris, and for this purpose they 
pulled down and carried away the exposed facing 
wall of Kouyunjik, and the basement wall of the 
palace of Assurbanipal. 

The northern part of the Kouyunjik mound is 
occupied by the palace of Assurbanipal, called the 
North Palace, and the south-western part by the 
palace of Sennacherib. Between the two palaces, 
and on the eastern part of the mound, there exists a 
wide space of ground, on which no Assyrian building 
has been discovered. According to the Assyrian 
inscriptions, there were at least four temples in this 
space—two temples to Ishtar, the goddess of Nineveh, 
a temple to Nebo and Merodach, and a ziggurat or 
temple tower. 

Nineveh was founded by Nimrod, king of Baby- 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 


91 


Ionia, and during the dominion of his successors 
there stood here a temple to “ Ishtar, daughter of 
the god Hea.” In the nineteenth century b.c. we 
find Assyria constituted into a monarchy, under rulers 
whose capital was at the city of Assur (Kalah Sher- 
gat), and one of these, named Samsi-vul, restored the 
old temple of Ishtar at Nineveh. After this, for 
some centuries, we hear nothing of Nineveh, until the 
reign of Assur-ubalid, b.c. 1400, who restored again 
the temple of Ishtar. From this time, the city 
gradually rose, until b.c. 1300, when Shalmaneser, 
king of Assyria, repaired the temple of Ishtar, now 
again in ruinous condition, and built a palace at 
Nineveh, making the city the seat of government. 
His son, Tugulti-ninip, B.c. 1271, made some addi¬ 
tions to the temple of Ishtar; and this structure was 
again restored by Assur-dan, king of Assyria, b.c. 
1200. Mutaggil-nusku, his son, b.c. 1170, rebuilt 
the palace; and the next monarch, Assur-risilim, b.c. 
1150, rebuilt both the palace and temple. Tiglath 
Pileser, his son, B.c. 1120, continued his father’s 
buildings here; and the next king, Assur-bel-kala, 
B.c. 1100, made a public fountain, in the shape of a 
female figure. His brother, Samsi-vul III., b.c. 1080, 
again built the temple of Ishtar. Assur-nazir-pal, 
who reigned b.c. 885, rebuilt both the temple and 
palace with great splendour, and his example was 
followed by his son, Shalmaneser II., b.c. 860; but 
towards the close of this monarch’s reign, the Nine- 
vites were dissatisfied with the transfer of the govern- 


92 


EXCAVATIONS AT K0TJYTJNJ1K. 


ment to Calah (Nimroud), and Nineveh revolted in 
favour of his son, Assur-dain-pal. This attempt at 
revolution was suppressed by Samsi-vul, brother of 
the revolting prince, and in b.c. 825, Samsi-vul IY. 
succeeded to the crown. He also adorned the temple 
of Ishtar, and his son, Yul-nirari III., b.c. 812, built 
a new temple to Nebo and Merodach. Hitherto all 
the public buildings had been on the platform of 
Kouyunjik, but Yul-nirari founded a new palace on 
the mound of Nebbi Yunas. The next monarch who 
embellished Nineveh was Tiglath Pileser II., b.c. 
745, who built a palace by the bend of the river 
Khosr. After the death of Tiglath Pileser, Nineveh 
was neglected in favour of a new royal city, built by 
Sargon, b.c. 722, at Dur-sargina (Khorsabad); but 
the temples were kept in repair, and Sargon restored 
the sanctuary of Nebo and Merodach. In the year 
b.c. 705, Sennacherib came to the throne, and he at 
once set to work to restore the glory of the great 
capital of Assyria. The old palace of Nineveh, the 
work of so many monarchs, had again fallen into 
decay, and he entirely removed it. Then turning the 
course of the river Khosr, which had undermined the 
mound, he forced it to flow more to the south; and 
he increased both the height and extent of the mound. 
On the south-west part he now built a magnificent 
palace, which in extent exceeds all other Assyrian 
palaces yet found. On the northern part of the 
mound he built a palace for his son, and on the 
mound of Nebbi Yunas a second palace for him- 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 


93 


self. The great walls of the city were also the 
work of this monarch. After the death of Senna¬ 
cherib, his son, Esarhaddon, b.c. 681, built a second 
palace on the Nebbi Yunas mound, and a temple 
to Shamas. His son and successor, Assurbanipal, b.c. 
668, restored the various palaces and temples built by 
his father and grandfather, and constructed a beautiful 
palace on the northern part of the Kouyunjik mound, 
on the site of one formerly built by Sennacherib. 
Nineveh was now in the height of its glory, but these 
vast works had been raised in great part by slave 
labour, and the captives taken in war toiled in 
building her walls and palaces. The city saw triumph 
after triumph, until in the time of Assurbani-pal it 
ruled over an empire stretching from Egypt and 
Lydia on the west to Media and Persia on the east. 

The end was, however, swiftly coming, and Nabo- 
polassar, the Assyrian general who left the city at 
the command of his monarch to subdue a revolt in 
Babylonia, was destined soon to return the conqueror 
of Nineveh itself. A coalition of Necho, king of 
Egypt, Cyaxares, king of Media, and Nabopolassar, 
king of Babylon, was formed against Assyria, and the 
Medes and Babylonians, after defeating the Assyrian 
forces, laid siege to Nineveh. The lofty walls of the 
city long resisted their efforts, but after two years 
there happened a great overflow of the Tigris which 
swept away part of the wall of the city. Through 
the breach the besiegers entered on the subsiding 
of the flood, and captured the city. The last king of 


94 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 


Assyria, finding his city was taken, made a pile of 
all his valuables in the palace, and setting fire to it 
perished himself in the flames. The city was now 
plundered and at once destroyed; it did not gradually 
decay like Babylon, but from the time of its capture 
it ceased to have any political importance, and its site 
became almost forgotten. 

On the 7th of May I commenced work at Kouyun- 
jik on the library space of the south-tvest palace, the 
building raised by Sennacherib, and on the 9th of 
May I started some trenches at the south-eastern 
corner of the north palace built by Assurbanipal. 
There was nothing of interest in the trenches at first, 
as all the sculptures had been discovered by former 
excavators, and my object was the recovery of in¬ 
scribed terra-cotta tablets. On the 10th of May I 
resolved to visit the site of Hammum Ali, and started 
out in the evening after paying the men. Hammum 
Ali is a site on the right or western bank of the 
Tigris, about sixteen miles below Mosul. The place 
is said to be a summer resort for the people of Mosul, 
and is noted for the medicinal properties of some 
bitumen springs. Passing through the southern gate 
of Mosul, the way lay for some few miles along a low 
good road; we then turned along a rugged rocky 
path which was very tiring to travel over, and at the 
end of this descended again into a plain in which 
stands Hammum Ali. War was at the time raging 
among the Arab tribes on the west of the Tigris. 
The great tribe of the Aneiza, which occupies the 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 95 

desert between Aleppo and the Tigris, had been 
moving as usual for plunder, and one branch or de¬ 
tachment had attacked a tribe named Abu Mohammed. 
The detachment of the Aneiza was defeated, and the 
Abu Mohammed, following up their success, put to 
death with great cruelty every one of the opposite 
party they met. In revenge the Aneiza were moving 
towards the Tigris, attacking the various tribes in 
that direction, and a few days before my visit to 
Hammum Ali, they had a brush in that neighbour¬ 
hood with a division of the Shammer Arabs, and had 
plundered them of all their flocks and herds. The 
various wandering tribes on the west of the Tigris 
were now flying across the river to escape the Aneiza, 
and we met on the way to Hammum Ali numbers of 
the fugitives carrying all their goods and driving 
their cattle before them. 

It was night when I arrived at Hammum Ali, but 
I contrived to get some refreshment, and afterwards 
spread my blanket on the ground and fell asleep. 
Early in the morning I rose, and having procured 
some breakfast went out to visit the mounds. There 
are several artificial elevations here, giving indications 
of the existence at one time of a considerable city, 
the principal mound appearing to be the ruin of a 
ziggurat or tower. A tunnel had been opened in 
this by the French excavators, but nothing of con¬ 
sequence had been found, the interior consisting of 
sun-dried bricks with layers of large stones. After 
inspecting the mounds I examined the village, and 


96 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 

the bitumen springs or wells. A roofed bath-house 
is built over these, and the famous water is in a bath 
or pool, with a stage all round it for the convenience 
of the bathers. People of both sexes bathe in the 
pool, the water of which is of an inky colour, with 
lumps of bitumen floating about in it. The interior 
of the building round the pool has been used as a con¬ 
venience, and is in a state of indescribable filthiness. 

Turning from this I rode through the low ground 
by the side of the Tigris, and then along the face of 
the cliffs overhanging the water, and soon arrived at 
Mosul, from which I crossed over to Kouyunjik to 
see the progress of the excavations. My trenches in 
the palace of Sennacherib proceeded slowly and pro¬ 
duced little result, the ground being so cut up by 
former excavations that it was difficult to secure 
good results without more extensive operations than 
my time or means would allow; inscriptions, the 
great object of my work, were however found, and 
served as compensation for the labour. 

In the north palace the results were more definite. 
Here was a large pit made by former excavators from 
which had come many tablets; this pit had been used 
since the close of the last excavations for a quarry, 
and stones for the building of the Mosul bridge had 
been regularly extracted from it. The bottom of the 
pit was now full of massive fragments of stone from 
the basement wall of the palace jammed in between 
heaps of small fragments of stone, cement, bricks, and 
clay, all in utter confusion. On removing some of 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYTTNJIK. 97 

these stones with a crowbar, and digging in the 
rubbish behind them, there appeared half of a curious 
tablet copied from a Babylonian original, giving 
warnings to kings and judges of the evils which 
would follow the neglect of justice in the country. 
On continuing the trench some distance further, the 
other half of this tablet was discovered, it having 
evidently been broken before it came among the 
rubbish. 

On the 14th of May my friend, Mr. Charles Kerr, 
whom I had left at Aleppo, visited me at Mosul, and 
as I rode into the khan where I was staying, I met 
him. After mutual congratulations I sat down to 
examine the store of fragments of cuneiform inscrip¬ 
tions from the day’s digging, taking out and brushing 
off the earth from the fragments to read their contents. 
On cleaning one of them I found to my surprise and 
gratification that it contained the greater portion of 
seventeen lines of inscription belonging to the first 
column of the Chaldean account of the Deluge, and 
fitting into the only place where there was a serious 
blank in the story. When I had first published the 
account of this tablet I had conjectured that there 
were about fifteen lines wanting in this part of the 
story, and now with this portion I was enabled to 
make it nearly complete. 

After communicating to my friend the contents of 
the fragment I copied it, and a few days later tele¬ 
graphed the circumstance to the proprietors of the 
“Daily Telegraph.” Mr. Kerr desired to see the 

H 


98 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYTJNJIK. 


mound at Nimroud, but, as the results from Kouyun- 
jik were so important, I could not leave the site to 
go with him, so I sent my dragoman to show him the 
place, remaining myself to superintend the Kouyunjik 
excavations. 

The palace of Sennacherib also steadily produced 
its tribute of objects, including a small tablet of 
Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, some new fragments of 
one of the historical cylinders of Assurbanipal, and a 
curious fragment of the history of Sargon, king of 
Assyria, relating to his expedition against Ashdod, * 
which is mentioned in the twentieth chapter of the 
Book of Isaiah. On the same fragment was also part 
of the list of Median chiefs who paid tribute to 
Sargon. Part of an inscribed cylinder of Sennacherib, 
and half of an amulet in onyx with the name and 
titles of this monarch, subsequently turned up, and 
numerous impressions in clay of seals, with imple¬ 
ments of bronze, non, and glass. There was part of 
a crystal throne, a most magnificent article of furni¬ 
ture, in too mutilated condition to copy, but as far as 
it is preserved closely resembling in shape the bronze 
one discovered by Mr. Layard at Nimroud. 

On the evening of Saturday, the 17th of May, 
after paying the workmen, I started to examine the 
mounds of Khorsabad. I crossed the Tigris, and 
passed through the ruins of Nineveh, by the side 
of the Khosr river, and went over the country to the 
mound of Kalata. From the lateness of the hour, 

I was unable to inspect Kalata, and put up in a 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUTUNJIK. 99 

village near that mound. Rising early next morn¬ 
ing, I went to the mound of Kalata, a large, conical, 
artificial elevation, which had been tapped by former 
explorers. The only thing that could be seen of 
any account was a chamber in the side of the 
mound, which appeared to me like a tomb. The 
vault had been recently rifled of its contents, and 
I was told several antiquities had been found 
there. From Kalata I went to Barimeh, a well- 
built village near the foot of the mountains of Jebel 
Maklub, and, passing through a beautiful country, 
rode to Khorsabad. A fine stream, a tributary of the 
Khosr, flows from Barimeh to Khorsabad. In one 
place there is a pretty waterfall, and signs of cultiva¬ 
tion and fertility are visible in every direction. The 
neighbouring mountains and streams, the fields and 
flowers, combine to make this district a contrast to 
the vast brown plains of most of Assyria, and fully 
justify the choice of Sargon, who fixed on the site of 
Khorsabad to build his capital. 

The ruins of Khorsabad represent the old Assyrian 
city of Dur-sargina, and consist of a town and palace 
mound. The wall of the town is nearly square, 
rather over a mile each way, the angles of the square 
facing the cardinal points. On the south-west face 
of the wall there is the fortified enclosure of a 
citadel, and on the north-west face, along which 
runs the stream from Barimeh, stands the palace 
platform, somewhat in form of the letter T, the 
base of the letter being turned to the north-west, 


100 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 


nearest to the stream. This part of the mound near 
the water is the highest, and covers the remains of 
the palace and a temple. The excavations here by 
M. Botta have been made in a systematic manner, 
and have laid bare a considerable portion of the palace, 
some of which can still be seen; but most of it has 
been covered again, to preserve it. I spent some 
time in inspecting these ruins, and then returned to 
Mosul. 

I have said I telegraphed to the proprietors of 
the “Daily Telegraph” my success in finding the 
missing portion of the deluge tablet. This they pub¬ 
lished in the paper on the 21st of May, 1873; but 
from some error unknown to me, the telegram as 
published differs materially from the one I sent. In 
particular, in the published copy occurs the words 
“ as the season is closing,” which led to the inference 
that I considered that the proper season for excavat¬ 
ing was coming to an end. My own feeling was the 
contrary of this, and I did not send this. I was at 
the time waiting instructions, and hoped that as good 
results were being obtained, the excavations would be 
continued. The proprietors of the “ Daily Telegraph,” 
however, considered that the discovery of the missing 
fragment of the deluge text accomplished the object 
they had in view, and they declined to prosecute the 
excavations further, retaining, however, an interest in 
the work, and desiring to see it carried on by the 
nation. I was disappointed myself at this, as my 
excavations were so recently commenced; but I felt 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK . 101 


I could not object to this opinion, and therefore pre¬ 
pared to finish my excavations and return. I con¬ 
tinued the Kouyunjik excavations until I had com¬ 
pleted my preparations for returning to England, 
and in the north palace, near the place where I found 
the tablet with warnings to kings, I disinterred a 
fragment of a curious syllabary, divided into four 
perpendicular columns. In the first column was 
given the phonetic values of the cuneiform charac¬ 
ters, and the characters themselves were written in 
the second column, the third column contained the 
names and meanings of the signs, while the fourth 
column gave the words and ideas which it repre¬ 
sented. 

I searched all round for other fragments of this re 
markable tablet, pushing my trench further through 
the mass of stones and rubbish, the remains of the 
fallen basement wall of the palace. Large blocks of 
stone, with carving and inscriptions, fragments of 
ornamental pavement, painted bricks, and decora¬ 
tions, were scattered in all directions, showing how 
complete was the ruin of this portion of the palace. 
Fixed between these fragments were found, from 
time to time, fragments of terra-cotta tablets; and 
one day a workman struck with his pick an over- 
lying mass of mortar, revealing the edge of a tablet, 
which was jammed between two blocks of stone. 
We at once cleared away the rubbish, and then, 
bringing a crowbar to bear, lifted the upper stone block, 
and extracted the fragment of tablet, which proved 


102 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK . 


to be part of the syllabary, and joined the fragment 
already found. The greater part of the rest of this 
tablet was found at a considerable distance in a 
branch trench to the right. It was adhering to the 
roof of the trench, and easily detached, leaving the 
impression of all the characters in the roof. 

Two other portions of the sixth tablet of the deluge 
series also came from this part. They relate to the 
conquest of the winged bull, and will be given with 
the other portions of the Izdubar series. 

On my left in this excavation stood a mass of solid 
rubbish, which had been undermined during the 
former excavations; and a crack having started 
between this and the mound at the back of it, it 
stood as if ready to fall into the trench. For some 
time the workmen were afraid to touch it; but I 
expected some fragments there, so I directed them to 
attack it from the top, and was rewarded by several 
parts of tablets. A second trench on the right 
yielded a good text, being a variant account of the 
conquest of Babylonia by the Elamites, b.c. 2280. 
Most of the fragments from this part were obtained 
with considerable difficulty, on account of the masses 
of stone which had to be -removed to get at the 
inscriptions. 

In the northern part of Sennacherib’s palace I 
made some excavations, and discovered chambers 
similar to those in the south-east palace at Nimroud. 
Here no inscriptions rewarded me; but in the part of 
the temple area near this I discovered a new frag- 


EXCAVATIONS AT KOUTUNJIK. 103 


ment of the cylinder of Bel-zakir-iskun, king of 
Assyria, b.c. 626. Further to the south-east in this 
part of the mound I discovered brick inscriptions of 
Shalmaneser, b.c. 1300, and his son, Tugulti-ninip, 
b.c. 1271, both of whom made restorations and addi¬ 
tions to the temple of Ishtar. Here was a later wall, 
in constructing which some fine sculptures of the age 
of Assur-nazir-pal, b.c. 885, had been cut up and 
destroyed. 

Such were my principal discoveries at Kouyun- 
jik, and I closed the excavations there on the 9th 
of June. While I stayed at Mosul I made many 
friends among the Catholic missionaries and the 
merchants in the town, and in company with some 
of them I paid a farewell visit to Nimroud on the 
4th and 5th of June. On the 8th of June, as I 
was about to leave the country, I gave a farewell 
dinner to my friends, and next day we took leave of 
each other, I starting for Europe with my treasures. 




Chapter VII. 

FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 

Backsheesh.—Mill stream.—Jebel Abjad.—Power of rivers. 
Deluge mountains.—Stories.—M. Costi and Mr. Kerr.—Desert 
Arabs.—Nisibin.—Wounded Arab.—Orfa.—Abraham’s pool.— 
Castle. — Biradjik.—Aleppo.—Turkish custom-house.—Deceit. 
—Alexandretta.—Antiquities seized.—Their release. 


N the 9th of June, when preparing to start, 
I had to meet those innumerable applica¬ 
tions for backsheesh, that is, presents, 
which are so disagreeable in the East. 
Everyone, whether he had done me any service or 
not, equally felt justified in asking for money, and 
it seemed as if half the town were coming for 
presents. I kept one of my boxes open until six 
o’clock in the evening to receive the last discovered 
antiquities, and, my caravan being in readiness at the 
khan, I at once started for England. Several of my 
friends went across the Tigris with me, and on the 
beach of the eastern bank, between Nineveh and 
Mosul, I bid farewell to them and rode on to Tel 
Adas. Passing the gloomy shadows of the ruins of 



FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 105 

Nineveh, I rode along by night to the next station, 
and reached Tel Adas about a quarter to three on 
the morning of the 10th of June. I stayed at Tel 
Adas until the afternoon, and about a quarter to five 
started again. The road here was beautiful by night, 
and in one place we came to a fine stream and mill. 
The road here gradually ascended from the south 
until it reached a high ridge almost like an embank¬ 
ment ; then it descended by a steep path to the 
bank of the stream. Turning on one side of this, we 
travelled to the east a little distance up the stream 
until we found a place where we could ford it; then, 
turning to the left, we passed along the other bank, and 
had to ford some more water before reaching the 
straight road. Our way now lay through an undu¬ 
lating country, with low swelling hills and ridges of 
red earth. I passed Semil and went on to Gershene, 
where I stopped until the afternoon of the 11th of 
June. About a quarter past four in the afternoon 
of the 11th I started from Gershene, intending to go 
round the western end of the range of mountains 
named Jebel Abjad, but my guide turned out to be 
unacquainted with the road. We travelled along 
the plain for some distance, and about sunset, taking 
a wrong turn to the right, got entangled in the 
mountains. We rode about in the dark in the vain 
attempt to find the way, or to cross into the plains 
north of the mountains. The moon now rose, brightly 
shining over the scene and seeming to light up the 
upper parts of the mountains; but the shadows of the 


106 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


higher peaks, some of them 2,500 feet above the sea, 
fell over the glens and ravines through which we 
tried to force our way, rendering the light uncertain 
and deceiving. 

The scenery by day would have been very romantic, 
and it was rendered in some respects more so by the 
uncertain light in which we were travelling. Towering 
rocks, precipices, caverns, and waterfalls seen in suc¬ 
cession, sometimes half shrouded in shadow, some¬ 
times in the pale light of the moon, made far more 
impression on the imagination than they would have 
done in the day. After some hours of wandering 
we got across the mountains, and then tried to reach 
the banks of the Khabour. The river Khabour and 
its affluent, the Hazel, here run in a direction from 
east to west in the plain, which is bounded on the 
north by the Jebel Djudi, or Mountains of the Ark, 
and on the south by the Jebel Abjad, across which 
we had just passed. The dark rugged forms of the 
Jebel Djudi could be seen standing out in the dis¬ 
tance, and towards this range we directed our steps. 
On reaching the plain of the Khabour we rode 
through a vast field of wild plants, the smell from 
which was most fragrant, but they grew so thick and 
high that they almost covered us on horseback; and, 
fearing to lose ourselves in this jungle, we turned 
back and skirted the mountain until we came near a 
village, and entering this, tired with my night's 
wandering, I threw myself on a heap of corn and 
slept until sunrise. At dawn I obtained a guide from 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 107 

the village and went down to the Khabour, the cross¬ 
ing of which was a work of some difficulty. I passed 
over it where it is divided into several streams, and, 
passing some rocky heights, descended into a wide 
level plain, originally the bed of the Tigris, when in 
this part of its course it flowed more to the east. 
Vast water-worn cliffs and rocks stood on either side, 
some worn into shapes resembling the old ruins 
which lower down now line the river. In all this 
country the one natural phenomenon that impressed 
me most was the power of running water. The 
enormous cuttings, valleys, and river beds, and the 
power and swiftness of the rivers are very marked, 
and it is evident that in former times the strength 
of these waters was very much greater. Riding up 
out of this hollow we came to a beautiful scene; 
there was a ruined station on a rocky height, many 
trees and numerous wild flowers, conspicuous among 
which was the bright Oleander. Here was a waterfall, 
which now, supplied with abundant water, was, I 
think, the prettiest I had ever seen. Directly after, 
I passed among masses of recent pebbly rocks along 
a ledge overhanging the Tigris. Here the river 
seems undermining the eastern bank, and vast frag¬ 
ments of rock torn from the cliffs lay in the stream 
below. 

Passing down from the rocks to the sands, I rode 
along the bank to the bridge of boats at Djezireh, 
and crossed into the town about half-past nine on 
the morning of the 12th of June. I soon found 


108 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


the residences of my old friends, M. Costi and 
Mr. Kerr, and, receiving a hearty welcome from 
them, put up at their house. When I lost myself 
on the Jebel Abjad I also lost sight of my luggage 
and antiquities, and now I waited at Djezireh until 
they arrived. Almost my only amusement was to sit 
on the top of M. Costi’s house and watch the evolu¬ 
tions of a detachment of Turkish soldiers then 
encamped on the pebbly beach between Djezireh 
and the Tigris. On the other side of the Tigris, 
past some gently sloping hills, stood the Jebel Djudi, 
or Deluge Mountains. In these mountains they have 
found coal and bitumen, which may account for the 
tradition of the ark being localized here. In the 
valley at the foot of Jebel Djudi there is a village 
where, according to the popular tradition, Noah lived 
after the deluge and planted his vineyard. When 
I was in the East mining operations were going on at 
the Jebel Djudi, and many absurd stories were in 
circulation among the people. One of these reports 
was to the effect that a miner at work on Jebel Djudi 
had suddenly come on an ancient door buried in the 
earth, and that they had telegraphed to Constanti¬ 
nople before venturing to open it. In the East, in 
times of trouble and expected attack, it is customary 
to bury treasures, and the people are always dreaming 
of such hoards. Next day, the 13th of June, my 
luggage arrived safely, and at six in the evening 
I started on the road to Nisibin. 

M. Costi made up an entertainment at parting, 






The Jebel Djudi or Deluge Mountains. 
































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND . 109 

consisting of a lamb stuffed and roasted whole, and 
we found an old garden under the shadow of some 
ruins where we partook of it, and I then got off on 
my journey. We wound up the mountain road which 
ascends the side of the gorge in which Djezireh is 
situated; through the trees we saw the stream, looking 
charming in the evening light, and then passing out 
of sight of this, we rode along undulating plains, 
strewn here and there with glacial boulders, and 
arrived at Tellibel, where we had stayed on the 
journey out. Leaving Tellibel, I rode to Deruneh, 
a miserable village, where we changed guides. 
I stayed the day at Deruneh and started in the 
evening of the 14th of June for Nisibin. The road 
here at this time of the year is excellent, and the 
riding by night enjoyable. Along the southern 
horizon I saw the reflection of numerous fires; the 
people of the villages having reaped their fields, 
were burning everything in their neighbourhood, 
that the desert Arabs might find no forage. The 
hand of the wandering Arab is to-day, as ever, 
against every man’s hand, and their hand against 
his. During these nightly rides I enjoyed magni¬ 
ficent views of the heavens; Venus rose each morning 
like a lamp, and all the stars had a brilliancy with 
which people in northern climes are not familiar. 

It was daylight before I reached Nisibin, and I 
found the town presenting a much more pleasing 
appearance than on my former visit. The spring 
had produced a verdure in the surrounding scenery 


110 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


which made a good contrast to its winter appearance. 
At Nisibin I saw, in passing, the mounds of the old 
Assyrian city and the columns of a classical temple. 
On the evening of the 15th of June I left Nisibin, 
but my horse falling lame I stopped in the middle of 
the night, and did not start again until five o’clock in 
the morning; even then my progress was slow, and 
it was two o’clock in the afternoon before I reached 
Dinasar. At Dinasar there are large mounds and 
ruins of minarets and other buildings, attesting the 
former existence on this spot of a large city. 

At half-past three in the morning of the 17th 
I left Dinasar for Yarenshaher, but, taking a 
wrong turn, travelled too much to the north on a 
much longer road, near the Mardin mountains; the 
result was I fell in with a region covered with 
worn glacial boulders, — these stones were black 
in colour, weatherbeaten, and pitted all over with 
holes, like so many great cinders. Riding over 
these was very fatiguing, and at six in the evening I 
gave up hope of reaching Yarenshaher, and rested in 
some tents which fortunately stood near at hand. 
Next morning I started at half-past five and toiled 
again over this cinder bed, not reaching Yarenshaher 
until midday. Here, while waiting for my luggage, 
the Turkish officer in charge invited me to take some 
refreshment, and while we sat together a man was 
brought in who had been attacked by one of the 
Circassian zabtis, or irregular troops. His clothes 
were cut through and covered with blood, and there 


FBOM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


Ill 


were six long sword-cuts on his back, which presented 
a sickening spectacle, resembling a piece of hacked 
meat. 

The Turkish officer sent orders to search for the 
man accused of this attack, and afterwards sat down 
to judge some smaller cases. Two men then came 
forward, and disputed about the ownership of a 
sheepskin, and made as much bother about it as if it 
had been a thousand pounds. After hearing the 
learned arguments in this case, I prepared to leave 
Yarenshaher, and bade farewell to the Turkish 
official. 

Yarenshaher stands in the midst of the ruins of an 
extensive city; there are remains of fine fortifications, 
columns of buildings, arches and vaults, all of the 
same black stone which is so thickly spread over this 
region. I started from here at a quarter to four in the 
afternoon, and reached Tel Gauran in two hours. The 
chief of Tel Gauran received me kindly, remembering 
me from my former visit. While at Tel Gauran I 
saw a wandering Mahomedan holy man, or dervish; 
he was very dirty, very lazy, and very devout, and 
only interrupted his prayers to light his pipe or search 
for the vermin that annoyed him. Many of these 
wandering holy men are to be seen at this time of the 
year, and coming just after the harvest they are able 
to get better gifts from the faithful. 

At a quarter to six in the morning of the 19th of 
June I started from Tel Gauran, and arrived at ten 
o’clock at a good village named Mizar. The chief of 


112 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


Mizar was a stranger to me, but a hospitable man, who 
gave me a good reception. From Mizar I started in the 
afternoon and rode to Dashlook, where I met again the 
old lady who seemed to rule this village; she was the 
sister of the chief of Mizar, and had married the chief 
of Dashlook; in her house again I was well received. 
I made her a present of a pipe and some tobacco, as 
the old lady is an inveterate smoker. At Dashlook 
also there was a holy man, who complained that with 
all his sanctity he was neglected for me. I did not 
stay the night at Dashlook, but passed on in the 
evening to Yedok, and at six o’clock in the morning 
started from there for Orfa. Our road lay along by 
dry white rocks which reflected the glare of the sun 
and made the heat oppressive. 

When we reached Adana, I turned into a fruit- 
garden and bought some fruit while I enjoyed a rest, 
then started again, and came into the plain in which 
Orfa stands. This region is so shut in by mountains 
that the air seems still and oppressive, and on this 
day the sun appeared to give an intense heat here, 
which was difficult to bear; the air seemed luminous, 
and floated in waves before the eyes, while any little 
wind that arose appeared as if it came from an oven. 
Glad to escape this I hastened into Orfa, which I 
reached about half-past twelve in the day, and visited 
Pastor Hagub, whom I have formerly mentioned. I 
talked over my work and various discoveries with- 
the pastor, and then went with him to see some of 
the curiosities of Orfa. We came first to a beautiful 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


113 


stream and pool as full of fish as it could be; this is 
the Pool of Abraham, the inhabitants believing that 
Orfa is the Ur of the Chaldees, the birthplace of the 
Father of the Faithful. The pool is consequently held 
sacred, and no one is allowed to catch the fish with 
which it abounds. Passing from here we entered a 
garden and partook of Turkish coffee, and then began 
to ascend a rocky height on which the castle is 
situated. The road lay on the left, and formed a 
steep winding ascent reaching to the top of the rock 
on which the castle stands, but I saw before reaching 
the summit that artificial means had been used to 
make the fortress more impregnable. A deep and wide 
cutting had been made behind the walls of the castle, 
completely isolating that portion of rock on which 
the fort was built. In various places in the face of 
the rock, excavations had been made for tombs, but 
all these appeared to have been rifled. From the 
top of the rock we gained a splendid view of the city, 
which lay stretched at our feet like a panorama. We 
had to pass right round to the front of the castle to 
enter, and when inside found ourselves in the midst 
of ruins of all ages. I coj:>ied a stone covered with a 
Greek inscription, and further on came to two Corin¬ 
thian columns standing in a heap of ruins. On the 
shaft of one was a Pehlevi inscription, and below it 
an inscription in Arabic. On the outside wall of the 
castle was another Arabic inscription. 

Leaving the old city of Orfa about six o’clock in 
the evening of the 21st of June, I travelled along the 

i 


114 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 


rough, stony road leading to the Euphrates, and 
rested in the night at a village about one hour east of 
Tcharmelek. 

Early the next morning I started for Tcharmelek, 
and arrived there about seven o’clock. Then, leaving 
Tcharmelek in the evening, I travelled towards 
Biradjik. Some of my people becoming sleepy on the 
way, and no village being near, we all wrapped our¬ 
selves in our blankets, and lay down on the top of a 
well. Before morning we had started again, and 
arrived about eight o’clock at Biradjik. 

Biradjik, like most other towns on the route, 
seemed much improved in appearance by the change 
of season; the numerous small streams looked very 
refreshing, and the fruit-gardens were in excellent 
order. The whole town, in fact, had a superior look, 
so much of it being built of stone, different from the 
squalid mud huts so common in the East. 

On the 24th I crossed the Euphrates by the ferry, 
and rode to Okusolderan, taking a different and 
better road than that I travelled on before; and 
next day I journeyed to Tel Karamel. In this 
part of the way I got into a rugged valley, between 
two lines of hills—a wretched road, full of stones 
and impediments. Turning to the right, out of this, 
I crossed to Tel Karamel, and found my caravan, 
which had come by a better road. On the 26th I 
rode from Tel Karamel to Aleppo, over a chalky 
region, and, entering the city, put up again at the 
locanda. I was now involved in a difficulty with 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND . 


115 


the Turkish authorities, as the custom-house officials 
refused to let the antiquities pass. I was deprived of 
the assistance of Mr. Skene, the English consul, as he 
was away on a holiday; but I showed my firman, to 
prove my right to the antiquities, and the customs 
officers said, if I would unpack all the antiquities, 
and show the things to them at the custom-house, 
they would give me a letter to the port to pass the 
things. I accordingly opened all my boxes, and, 
having new boxes made there, repacked the antiqui¬ 
ties. The Turkish officers laughed at the appearance 
of the old fragments of inscriptions, and called them 
rubbish, making fun at the idea of taking care of such 
things. They gave me the letter to the port of 
Alexandretta; but although the things were worth¬ 
less in their eyes, they could not resist the temptation 
to play me false, and I found later, on presenting my 
letter, that it was an order to seize my boxes. On 
the 1st of July, in the evening, I left Aleppo, having 
engaged a caravan to Alexandretta. This journey 
was no pleasure, as I rode a wretched beast, which had 
a fixed idea that the true road always lay to the left 
of where I wanted him to go. He had a queer, pump- 
handle motion, and was inclined to drop on his knees 
on the slightest occasion. My first station past Aleppo 
was Elkod, and, leaving there on the 2nd of July, I 
rode to Afrin, where I dined under the cool shade of 
the trees. In the afternoon I went on to Ain Bada, 
where I put up for the night, and next morning 
started across the plains of Antioch. Most of the 


116 FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 

streams here were now dry, and the plain was in 
good condition for travelling. At Delebekir I left 
the plain, and began to ascend the pass of Beilan. 
For some distance I saw on the left the lake of 
Antioch, until, turning at the spot where the Aleppo 
and Antioch roads meet, on the way to Beilan, I lost 
sight of the lake, and passed along the right of a deep 
defile in the mountains to Beilan. At Beilan I put 



View of Bat of Alexandretta from Beilan. 


up at the new khan, which was just finished, and is 
excellent in accommodation and position. From here 
I once again caught a glimpse of the sea through 
a gorge between the mountains, and saw the vessel 
riding at anchor which was to take me home. At 
Beilan I met a number of engineers sent out by the 
Porte to survey the line of the proposed Euphrates 
A alley railway; but their presence here was a stand- 







FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND. 117 

ing joke. Nobody believed the Turks would ever 
make the proposed line; and it was said that Turkey 
was seeking a loan in the European market, and as 
soon as that matter was concluded the engineers 
would be recalled, and signs of activity again cease. 
Before I returned to the East, it did happen 
curiously enough that these engineers were with¬ 
drawn; and I do not think anything has come of 
this survey, any more than of others which have 
preceded it. 

On the 4th of July I left Beilan, and rode down 
the rocky path leading to Alexandretta, then along 
the spit of sand into the city. Here I called on Mr. 
Franck, the British consul, who was delighted to see 
me, and hear of my success. He went with me to 
the custom-house to present the letter for passing 
the antiquities; but when the letter was opened, it 
was found to contain an order to stop them, the 
Turkish officials having made me the bearer of a 
letter directed against myself. Mr. Franck, as British 
consul, now assisted me in every way. We showed 
the firman of the Sultan, but it was cunningly pointed 
out that even this was given with a flaw in it. We 
reminded the officials that the boxes were the pro¬ 
perty of the British Government, and took other 
steps, but all was of no avail, and the customs 
authorities ended by seizing the antiquities. 

Such was the conduct of the Turkish officers to 
the agent of a nation which had been foremost in up¬ 
holding Turkey. Deprived of the antiquities I had 


118 


FROM MOSUL TO ENGLAND.' 


gained with so much toil, I at once took passage for 
England, where I arrived on the 19th of July. The 
antiquities were afterwards released at the request of 
the British ambassador at Constantinople, and were 
shipped by Mr. Franck for England, where they 
arrived safely, and were deposited in the British 
Museum. 



Chapter VIII. 

SECOND JOURNEY TO MOSUL. 

Release of antiquities.—New discoveries.—Syrian robber.— 
Severe winter.—Tcharmelek.—Calak.—Dinasar.—Turkish con¬ 
scription.—Abdul Kareem.—Irregular soldiers.—Nisibin.—En¬ 
tertainment.—Dancing boy.—Derunah.—Post travelling. 


FTER the Turkish government had re¬ 
leased the collection of antiquities, and 
they had arrived in England, great 
interest was taken in the results of the 
expedition, and the trustees of the British Museum, 
seeing that other portions of the Museum cuneiform 
inscriptions existed at Kouyunjik, directed me to 
return to Mosul and excavate during the remainder 
of the period of the firman, this concession closing 
on the 9th or 10th of March, 1874, and the trustees 
set aside a sum of £1,000 for this work. 

While I remained in England, between my first 
and second journey, I made some interesting dis¬ 
coveries, partly in the old collection, and partly in 
the new collection which I had just excavated. 



120 


SECOND JOURNEY 


Among these were the fragments of an official Baby¬ 
lonian chronology, and a valuable portion of the 
Assyrian canon, referring to the period of Shalma¬ 
neser, King of Assyria. These were published at a 
meeting of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, and 
the same evening the decision of the trustees of the 
British Museum was announced. 

Under the direction of the trustees of the British 
Museum I left London on the 25th of November, 
1873, and, traversing the same route as before, 
arrived at Alexandretta on the 9th of December. 
Mr. and Madame Franck received me very kindly, 
and my arrangements were soon made for going up 
the country. On the same day I bid farewell to the 
consul and Madame Franck, little thinking that for 
one of us it was the last time. Soon afterwards, 
while Mr. Franck had gone to England on business, 
Madame Franck was taken suddenly ill and died. 

I journeyed on the 9th to Beilan and put up at the 
khan, but the place was much duller than on my 
former visit; all the engineers who had been sur- 
% eying for the railway had been withdrawn, and 
there was only the usual caravan traffic. On the 
morning of the 10th I left Beilan and travelled 
through the pass to Delebekir, intending to go on 
from there to Afrin, but my horses were such poor 
animals that I gave up the attempt and turned into 
Ain Bada, putting up at the khan. Next day I went 
on to Injerlikoy, and on the 12th to Aleppo. Here 
I received a welcome from Mr. Skene, our consul, 


TO MOSUL. 


121 


and Mrs. Skene insisted on making up a basket of 
good things for the road, to refresh me on my 
journey to Mosul; the thoughtful kindness of my 
friends was afterwards of excellent service to me 
in the wilderness. While I stayed at Aleppo I met 
a gentleman whom I had known at Mosul during 
my former visit. He told me that things had changed 
for the worse since I was there; suspicion was enter¬ 
tained as to my object, and the irregular soldiers who 
were in my employ had been closely questioned as 
to what I had discovered and taken to Europe. One 
of these irregular soldiers, named Dervishaher, had 
been faithful and trustworthy while with me before, 
and I wished him to come and meet me on the road, 
intending again to employ him; so I sent a telegram 
from Aleppo to Mosul to ask him to come to Nisibin 
to meet me. 

The country round Aleppo was now free from the 
incursions of the robber whom I mentioned in the 
account of my former journey. A reward had been 
offered for his apprehension, and a friend of his, the 
keeper of the mill of Tel Karamal, resolved to betray 
him for the money. One night, a little before my 
second journey, Gurro, as the robber was named, 
called at the mill, and was hospitably received; but 
while sitting at supper, he was set upon, and after a 
desperate resistance, overpowered and carried to 
Aleppo, where he was in prison when I arrived. 

On the 15th of December I left Aleppo, and met in 
my course very bad weather. I travelled to a village 


122 


SECOND JOURNEY 


named Achtareen and there put up for the night, 
departing next morning for Zambour, which I made 
my next station. On the morning of the 17th I 
started from Zambour, when the weather suddenly 
becoming worse I was enveloped in a storm of rain 
and snow. I galloped along to get out of this and 
soon descended to the bank of sand on the right of 
the Euphrates, but had to wait there a long time 
before I could get a ferry-boat to take me across. This 
difficulty was, however, ultimately removed, and I 
was ferried over to Biradjik, glad enough to get 
shelter. Next morning the weather looked unpro¬ 
mising, but I was anxious to get on, and started 
for Tcharmelek. We had scarcely got disentangled 
from the rocks round Biradjik when the storm com¬ 
menced and gradually increased in violence. If 
there had been a convenient village on the road 
I would have turned in to it, but there was nothing 
in the way of a station until I came to Tcharmelek, 
a distance of about thirty miles. The storm was so 
furious that I could not see Tcharmelek even when I 
was close to it, and the first intimation I had of my 
approach to the village was from smelling the smoke 
from the native fires. I think shelter was seldom 
more welcome than it was to me on reaching 
this village, as my animal was exhausted and would 
not have stood the weather much longer. Our host 
at Tcharmelek ushered us through a low door into 
one of the tall sugarloaf-shaped houses, and soon 
made up a good fire of camels’ dung in the middle 


TO MOSUL. 


123 

of the room, round which we sat warming and drying 
ourselves. Here we were forced to stay the next 
day, as, although the weather was better, our animals 
and goods were not yet fit to start again, On the 
20th I got off again and reached Orfa, where I had 
some trouble with my mule driver, who did not want 
to go to Mosul. Ultimately, I agreed to let him off 
at Nisibin, and started for that town on the 22nd. 
The road from Orfa to Nisibin is long and severe in 
winter, and there are very few good stations on the 
way. I made my first stage at Adana, and moved 
on the 23rd to Zibini. Here a curious circumstance 
happened: we were sitting in a hut, crowded round 
a fire in the middle of the building, as it was very 
cold, when one of the company in the course of con¬ 
versation mentioned that in that neighbourhood there 
was a holy tribe, the men of which could lick red- 
hot iron without it harming them. I do not take 
any notice of such statements myself; but one of my 
party, against my wish, challenged the villagers to 
produce a man of this tribe and try his powers. 
Directly afterwards a dark sinister-looking Arab 
entered the hut, and I saw at once that he was the 
magician. The villagers produced a sickle, which 
was laid on the fire and heated until red-hot, and 
then the Arab, taking it up by the handle, held the 
glowing mass in front of him and started a chant or 
incantation; this was taken up by all the bystanders, 
and while they were repeating it the man put out 
his tongue and appeared to lick the red-hot iron over 


124 


SECOND JOURNEY 


and over again, producing a seething noise like that 
of heated metal in contact with water. Immediately 
after this exhibition all the natives round, who fully 
believed in this man’s supernatural powers, clustered 
round him, kissing his hand and the hem of his gar¬ 
ment. I gave the magician a small backsheesh, 
which he showed no thanks for, and he soon relieved 
us of his presence and disappeared in the darkness. 

Next day I went on from Zibini to Varenshaher, 
where I changed my guards, and in the afternoon I 
started from Varenshaher to find a lodging in the 
wilderness. This appeared to be no easy task ; but 
we fell in with a chief going towards Varensha, and, 
offering him a cigarette, got into conversation, and 
induced him to show us to his tents, where we put up 
for the night. 

This encampment was called Calah. Its chief was 
a man of business. He set me down as a merchant 
at once, and told me that if I would leave him a sum 
of money he would purchase for me all the wool 
from the tribes round the neighbourhood, and we 
might do a profitable business. I excused myself 
for the present from this venture, and next morning 
left the chief, who still harped on this string. One 
of the Arabs went a short way with us from the 
encampment to show the road, and after a good 
day’s travel, I stopped at Dinasar on the evening 
of Christmas Hay. At Dinasar I stayed at the same 
house I put up at during my former visit to this part. 
The reception room for travellers at Dinasar is on the 


TO MOSUL . 


125 


upper floor of the house, and is reached from the court¬ 
yard by a flight of stone steps; the room is oblong in 
shape, one end being occupied by the chimney, the 
other by the door, while there is a raised platform 
on each side for the mats and carpets of guests. 

On this occasion, I found one side of the room 
occupied by a Turkish officer, who had come on 
recruiting business, and I took possession of the 
other. After greeting each other, I had time, while 
waiting for tea, to examine my companion. He was 
dressed in the inevitable blue uniform, and buttons 
ornamented with the device of the crescent and star. 
Over his legs he wore a capacious pair of boots 
reaching to his thighs, and he had a long sword, 
which trailed on the ground. Otherwise he seemed 
rather sparely provided, but being a soldier he made 
himself at home wherever he went. The mission of 
this officer was in connection with the conscription, 
which is rigorously carried out in this part of the 
world. The Turkish government keeps up a force 
in Asia which seems excessive in a time of peace, and 
the conscription by which the army is recruited falls 
heavily on the Mahomedan population. The young 
men, the strength of the Mahomedan villages, are 
drained away into the army, and the wealth and 
population of the country, instead of increasing, in 
some places decline. There is, however, less reason 
to regret this as the army is recruited entirely from 
the Mohamedans, and their decay gives some hope 
for civilization. 


126 


SECOND JOURNEY 


The officer whom I met at Dinasar in pursuit of 
his mission, summoned to his presence the chief of 
Dinasar and the head man of the neighbouring 
village, and they attended, looking not particularly 
delighted with his business. Proceedings commenced 
by the officer drawing a large roll of papers from 
his pocket; and the learning of the military official 
appearing rather slender, he was assisted in deci¬ 
phering the documents by an intelligent young sol¬ 
dier in attendance on him. After reading out the 
government orders to the chiefs, the Turkish officer 
made them a speech, reminding them of the result 
of disobedience, and calling their attention to the 
fate of Abdul Kareem. No blush appeared on the 
face of the Turk as he alluded to the death of the 
unfortunate chief, which he appeared to think was 
justly deserved. I invited the officer to take tea 
with me, and when my cooking apparatus, travelling 
bed, and other useful things were exhibited, his men 
broke out into exclamations of astonishment; but 
the Turk himself said he was well acquainted with 
such things, in fact, he had some precisely like them, 
only he had left them at Constantinople. Next 
morning I rose early to ride to Nisibin, and the 
Turkish officer happened to mount at the same time. 
He appeared to desire my company on the road, and 
deceived me by saying that the road he was going on 
was a nearer way to Nisibin, his direction being 
towards the Mardin mountains. I, however, had no 
idea of staying with him, and, putting spurs to my 


TO MOSUL. 


127 


horse, was soon out of sight. A shower of hail now 
coming on, I turned into a village by the road for 
shelter, and was told the deception he had practised 
on me. Leaving a message with the villagers to turn 
back my caravan, I led my party across the fields, 
and regained the Nisibin road. The road to Nisibin 
from Dinasar is good ; but the weather was a great 
obstacle, a strong east wind blew all day, and, being 
in our faces, hindered the animals a great deal, while 
the sharp storms of hail from time to time, driven in 
our faces by the wind, cut like pins and needles. At 
Amudia, about six hours from Dinasar, I put up for 
a rest and dinner, and after dinner, resolving to ride 
at once to Nisibin, directed the zabti, or irregular 
soldier who accompanied me, to bring on the saddle¬ 
bags afterwards, as there was no danger or need for 
his attendance on the road. 

These irregular soldiers commonly attend Euro¬ 
peans travelling in the East in the capacity of guides 
and guards, and are very useful to the traveller. 
The men are supposed to be paid a monthly salary 
by the government for maintaining themselves and 
their horses, and they are appointed two suits of 
clothes a year. I suppose the necessary sums for 
these objects regularly appear in the estimates; but, 
from some unknown reason, very often the clothes 
and pay never reach the soldiers. I have known 
some men who had received no money or clothes 
for fourteen months. The appearance and condition 
of these men are sometimes most miserable: scarcely 


128 


SECOND JOURNEY 


two are dressed alike, and scarcely two armed alike; 
some have gun and pistols, some only a sword or 
spear. The most remarkable points about them are 
their boots and shoes; all of course have something 
on their feet, but very often the two boots are not a 
pair, and sometimes they had one boot and one 
slipper. They are in every sense of the word 11 irre¬ 
gulars.” In the section of country from Yarenshaher 
to Derunah, most of these zabtis or zaptiya are Cir¬ 
cassians, numbers of whom are colonists in Asiatic 
Turkey. These Circassians are called by the natives 
Chetchen; they are brave, fanatical, and inveterate 
thieves. When I informed my Chetchen that I 
would ride to Nisibin without him, the Arabs round 
also said there was no need of protection on the 
road; but a second Chetchen, who happened to be 
in the room, asserted that the road was sometimes 
dangerous. One of the Arabs at this answered, u Oh, 
no, there is no danger; and if there is any, then it 
is only from the Chetchen.” This turned the laugh 
against the Chetchen, who are both hated and feared 
by the Arabs. 

I left Amudia with my dragoman, and we urged 
our horses to reach Nisibin. Coming in sight of 
a village built among the ruins of an ancient fort, 
about half way between Amudia and Nisibin, I did 
not stop to examine it, but rode past as quickly as 
possible, as the weather was becoming worse and 
worse. A storm of rain and hail was gathering. I 
was anxious for a good shelter, and therefore glad 


TO MOSUL. 


129 


enough to see Nisibin, .which I entered about four in 
the afternoon. I went to the khans, but they were 
in a wretched state with mud and rain. I tried 
the coffee-shop, but there was no accommodation, so 
I turned at last to the serai, and asked the governor 
to recommend mq a lodging. The governor kindly 
gave me shelter in the serai, and the place proved 
tolerably comfortable. The room allotted to me was 
that in which official business was usually trans¬ 
acted, but it was similar in arrangement and ap¬ 
pearance to the one at Dinasar. There was a good 
fire of logs at the upper end of the apartment, and 
altogether it was a welcome shelter from the storm, 
which now raged with pitiless fury. Coffee, after 
the Turkish fashion, was brought round, and soon 
afterwards my host invited me to dinner. While 
the repast was preparing, there entered a tall, 
powerful-looking man, and a youth, apparently 
about fourteen years old. The youth was evidently 
a dancing boy, one of a class peculiar to Turkey; 
and I saw that he and his companion had come to 
take part in a musical entertainment. Our dinner 
was a good one, served with the politeness and 
gravity of the East: it included various meats, fish, 
preserved grapes, beautiful honey, and wound up 
with pilaw or pilaff, a native dish of rice. After 
coffee had again been handed round, the guests 
began to drop in, and preparations were made for 
an evening’s entertainment. Two musicians now 
entered, one having a tambourine, and the other an 


K 


130 


SECOND JOURNEY 


instrument called a kanun, resembling a dulcimer, 
the strings resting on two bridges. The performer 
sits with this instrument on his knee, and plays with 
both hands. The assembly included the rank and 
fashion of Nisibin. One officer present understood 
Russian; and a gentleman from the town who was 
present took occasion to inform me that he was a 
Christian. After the necessary tuning up, the tall 
man, who appeared to be the leader of the party, 
commenced the entertainment. He gave out a series 
of coarse jokes, and went through performances of a 
disgusting character, and when these had gone on for 
some time, one of the company presented him with a 
cigarette, which he eyed with some show of suspicion, 
and then proceeded to smoke: it was half filled with 
gunpowder, and exploded in his face, and he then 
pretended to be much injured. His performances 
produced roars of laughter among the audience, in 
which the gentleman who called himself Christian 
joined. Meanwhile the boy had retired and changed 
his clothes, returning to the room in a dress of faded 
finery, fringed all round, flounced, and coloured red 
and blue. Next followed tunes on the kanun, and 
songs in Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic, in some of 
which the dancing boy joined. The youth then com¬ 
menced dancing, and kept it up for a long time. His 
movements were rather odd than, graceful: he swung 
about, waving his arms, and rattling some little brass 
bells attached to his fingers, jumped, capered, and 
rocked his head backwards and forwards on his neck,‘ 
as if it was loose on its joint. 


TO MOSUL. 


131 


Music and dancing continued until a late hour, 
but the interest of the audience never flagged, and 
whether it was an obscene jest, a dreary song, or an 
idiotic twist of the head, it came all the same to the 
company. I was glad when the entertainment came 
to an end, and I was able to retire to my couch. 
Next day the storm raged as fiercely as ever, and 
I could not move from Nisibin, but on the 28th I 
resolved to start, in spite of the weather, and having 
sent on my luggage and animals early in the after¬ 
noon, only stayed to lunch with the governor before 
leaving. I had previously requested the governor 
to give me an escort across the desert, as I desired 
to go by the shorter road to Mosul, and he promised 
to do so, but said I must first go to Deruneh, and 
cross the country from there. He gave me a letter, 
which he said contained the requisite instructions to 
the governor of Deruneh, but on arriving afterwards 
at that place I found his instructions were to the 
reverse effect. This was the second time I had been 
treated in this way by a Turkish official. I engaged 
two zabtiya or irregular soldiers, directing that one 
should be sent forward with my luggage, while the 
other stayed behind to accompany me. Late in the 
afternoon I left Nisibin, and rode on to overtake my 
luggage, which I found not far off. It was raining 
heavily all the time, and I saw, on coming up with 
my caravan, that the authorities had sent out with 
them a guide who was ill with fever and scarcely 
, able to sit on his horse. The man was wretchedly 


132 


SECOND JOURNEY 


clad and wet through, presenting a spectacle which 
any one but a Turk would have pitied. I gave the 
poor fellow a present, and sent him back to Nisibin, 
after which, as the weather did not improve, I turned 
into the village of Arbat to rest for the night. At 
this place the people swept out a tolerable room for 
my party, but outside the houses the village was a 
wretched sight, and the natives were walking about 
with their naked feet in the mud, which was in some 
places a foot deep. Next morning, the 29th, I started 
for Deruneh, but the travelling was a wretched job, 
partly from the state of the roads and partly from 
the fact that my caravan, which I had hired at Nisibin, 
consisted of poor animals quite unfit for my purpose. 
My efforts made little impression upon them, and it 
was night before I reached Deruneh. Deruneh is 
about midway between Nisibin and Djezereh and is 
principally a military and post station. I wandered 
all round the village in a vain attempt to find a 
shelter dry enough to put up in, but everything was 
in such a state with mud and dirt that I was forced 
to go to the governor and ask for apartments. The 
governor offered me a shelter, and as he was suffer¬ 
ing from fever I presented him with some medicine. 
I delivered to him the letter from the governor of 
Nisibin, and he on reading it informed me that the 
order was not to send me by the short road to Mosul 
as I wished, but to send me on to Djezireh. I had 
now no help for it, as I did not know the desert road, 
so I had to be contented with going to Djezireh. Soon 


TO MOSUL. 


133 


after I arrived at Deruneh the post came in from 
Diarbekr, and as I doubted if my present animals 
would carry me to Mosul by the Djezireh road I en¬ 
gaged post horses for the journey. I desired if possible 
to go before the Tartar who carried the letters, and 
for that purpose started early on the morning of the 
30th of December from Deruneh; but the post horses 
are trained to run together, and those I engaged, 
finding their companions absent, would not do more 
than a walk. No amount of persuasion, in the shape 
of spurs and whip, had any effect on them until the 
Tartar came up with me just by Djezireh. He 
swung his great whip and gave a prolonged shout, 
and my animal joined his herd in a minute. I had 
no more trouble to make him go; he dashed through 
the small stream near Djezireh at a gallop, and 
landed me at the post-office in very little time. I 
now saw that it was best to go on with the Tartar, 
and told him I should like to accompany him, but he 
expressed a doubt if I could stand the fatigue, he 
and some others believing that post travelling was 
very rapid and tiring. I laughed at this, as it was 
evident from the little I had seen of post travelling 
that’the Tartars did not exert themselves very much, 
and very seldom galloped until they came in sight of 
a town. 

The same evening I left Djezireh with the Tartar, 
but took a slightly different road from the one I 
had travelled before. After passing the rocks near 
Djezireh we went to the village of Naharwan, outside 


134 SECOND JOURNEY TO MOSUL . 


which we waited while the guides were changed, then 
rode to the river Hazel, which we crossed, and went 
along the north bank of the river Khabour until we 
reached Zaccho, then fording the north branch of the 
Khabour entered Zaccho a little before daybreak. The 
night was cold and the journey without interest, as the 
darkness prevented any accurate observation of the 
country. Leaving Zaccho on the morning of the 31st, 
I went through the pass, where I had much diffi¬ 
culty, as my luggage did not sit well on the post 
horses, and in going up and down the mountain paths 
they upset it; this, however, was put right when we 
got into the plain, and we proceeded without further 
trouble to Semil. On the night of the 31st of 
December I rode from Semil to Mosul; during most 
of the time I was very drowsy, and slept on horse¬ 
back, but I roused myself in the morning, when 
about half-past four I saw in the dim twilight the 
mounds of Nineveh; then putting spurs to our horses, 
we rode along by the walls of the old city, and with 
a shout of joy entered the town of Mosul about five 
in the morning of the 1st of January, 1874. 




Chapter IX. 

EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIK. 

Ali Rahal.—Turkish governor.—Redif Pacha.—New policy.— 
Turkish demands.—Temples.—Curious pottery.—Early palace.— 
Roman bottle.—North palace.—Ruined entrance.—Perfect bi¬ 
lingual tablet.—Inscriptions of Shalmaneser I.—Palace of Sen¬ 
nacherib.—Entrance.—Library chamber.—Pork.—Historical cy¬ 
linders.—Difficulties.—Close of work. 

MMEDIATELY after my arrival at 
Mosul I sent for Ali Rahal, a chief of the 
Jebours who had been in my service 
during my former visit, and he soon came 
to see me. Remembering the salary and profit he 
had before, he demonstrated his joy at meeting me by 
falling on my neck, embracing me, and kissing my 
beard. I directed Ali to engage a number of men 
and proceed to Kouyunjik, and to dig over the earth 
on the spot where I was excavating last year. I then 
gave out the digging implements, and afterwards sat 
down to breakfast. Ali at once led a party to the 
mound and commenced work, bringing me soon 
after a fine fragment of a tablet and a bronze figure, 




136 


EXCAVATIONS 


the firstfruits of the excavation. After breakfast I 
went to the serai to pay a complimentary visit to the 
governor, Abdi Effendi. Some officious person had 
already been to him and told him of my arrival, and 
when I entered he did not look very pleased at my 
visit. 

Just before my return to England on my last expe* 
• dition, the Turkish government, in pursuance of the 
ruinous plan of continually changing the governors, 
recalled the pacha of Baghdad and appointed in his 
place Redif Pacha. I was told that Redif Pacha 
understood French and was acquainted with some¬ 
thing of European civilization, but instead of learning 
from the West I was informed that his policy at 
Baghdad was hostile to all foreigners. Before Redif* 
Pacha was well settled in his government I left the 
East, but soon after I was gone he sent to Mosul, which 
is subordinate to Baghdad, to ask why the governor 
of that place had let me go, and what I had taken 
with me. The two irregular soldiers who had been 
with me during the former excavations were then 
called up before the court and questioned as to what 
I had discovered in the excavations, but they being 
ignorant men could give no satisfactory account, and 
application was then made to the French consulate. 
The French consul told the Turkish authorities that 
if they wished to know what I had found and removed 
they should have asked me while in the country, and 
that they were too late in moving in the matter then. 
Orders were afterwards sent from Baghdad to Mosul 


AT KOUYUNJIK. 


137 


to impede me on my return, to place a guard upon me, 
and not to let me leave Mosul without giving up half 
the things I discovered to be sent to the Imperial 
Museum. I have stated that when at Aleppo I had 
sent to ask one of the irregular soldiers who attended 
me to meet me at Nisibin. On arriving at Nisibin I 
soon found he had not come, and when I reached Mosul 
I heard the reason. It appeared that on receiving my 
message, application was made through the French 
consul to allow the man to come and meet me, and the 
pacha answered that the soldier should be sent; but 
when the messenger’s back was turned the Turk 
reversed the order, and said the man should not be 
permitted to leave the town. It is this line of conduct 
which makes it so difficult to deal with the Turks. 
When on my return to Mosul I visited the governor 
he told me part of the difficulty and declared that he 
should have to carry out his instructions, and he had 
therefore sent to stop my men from excavating until 
he saw me. I requested him to reverse this order to 
stop my men, which he did, and then we discussed 
the questions between the'excavations and the Turkish 
orders. I declared that I was favourable to Turkey 
and should be very glad to see the Turkish govern¬ 
ment have a good museum, and to that end I should 
be glad to show them a number of good antiquities 
and assist them in getting others; but I said I could 
not part with half of my collection without spoiling 
it and doing them no good. I said I was sent to 
collect fragments to complete our inscriptions, many 


138 


EXCAVATIONS 


of which being imperfect were now useless, and 1 
stated that if they took these fragments they would 
not get complete or satisfactory inscriptions, but they 
would prevent us from completing ours ; and I asked 
them what would be the use if they had one half of 
an inscription at Constantinople while we had the other 
half in London? At this reasoning the Turks laughed; 
they said they did not understand antiquities, and if I 
pointed anything out I should point out worthless 
things to them and they must have half of the things 
I collected to make sure they had good ones. My 
visit ended without any satisfactory result, and from 
that time I was subject to perpetual annoyance. I 
was refused guards I could trust, the Turks saying 
that by kindness I had won the men to my interest; 
my movements were watched, a scribe as a spy was 
set over the works, and my superintendents were 
called up before the court and charged with conceal¬ 
ing the antiquities. 

I was informed that there were some in the town 
who ought to have known better, who fanned this 
ill-feeling, and told the pacha that I was only a news¬ 
paper correspondent and he might do as he liked 
with me. I must pass over the details of my disputes 
with the Turkish officials, and relate the progress of 
the excavations. My operations this time were con¬ 
fined entirely to the mound of Kouyunjik, as my diffi¬ 
culties with the Turkish officials rendered it unadvi- 
sable to attempt any other sites. In the large space 
extending over the middle and east of the mound 


AT KOUYUNJIK. 


139 


where no building has been discovered I made some 
explorations and experimental trenches. On the 
eastern edge of the mound overhanging the stream of 
the Ivhosr were remains of sculptures and mounds 
which had yielded inscriptions stating that they came 
from the temple of Nebo and Merodach. This temple 
was built by Yul-nirari III. b.c. 812, and restored by 
Sargon b.c. 722. Here I excavated and found similar 
inscriptions, but I believe not in their original places. 

Here I must remark that it should always be remem¬ 
bered that the site of Nineveh has been inhabited from 
the fall of the city until now, and care should be taken 
to ascertain, if possible, the original position of the 
inscriptions. I could gain from my short excavations 
here nothing satisfactory about the temple, but I found 
two inscribed bricks of Tiglath Pileser II., b. c. 745, 
which stated that they belonged to a palace of that 
monarch built at the bend of the Khosr, a description 
which applies precisely to the locality. These bricks, 
however, were not in their original position, and the 
building which stood here must have been raised after 
the Assyrian period. Broken fragments of sculpture 
from Assyrian buildings were found in various places, 
and among them a relief of a horseman and part of a 
gigantic winged man-headed bull. Here I also found 
part of a terra-cotta inscription of Sennacherib and 
some rude clay figures of idols. To the west of this 
position, and nearer the middle of the mound, I placed 
several trenches. In one place I found a small 
chamber like a shrine, solidly built of stones and 


140 


EXCAVATIONS 


cement, the walls plastered over and covered with a 
pattern of lines disposed in lozenges. The shape of 
the chamber was square, two corners being ornamented 
with square pilasters, and at one end was a large 
circular recess. In the chamber I found a bronze 



Bronze Lamp. 


lamp with two spouts for wicks. I was not satisfied 
that this was really an Assyrian building, although 
it may possibly have been one. Very near the 
chamber, I found the capital of a large column but 
traced no building to which it could have belonged. 

Near the entrance of the great palace of Sennacherib, 
and close to the spot where the former excavators 
found a broken obelisk, I discovered inscriptions of 
Shalmaneser I., king of Assyria, b.c. 1300, recording 
that he founded the palace of Nineveh; and mixed up 
with these were remains of inscriptions belonging to 
the same monarch, stating that he restored the temple 
of Ishtar. From the same spot came inscriptions of 
his son, Tugulti-ninip, the conqueror of Babylonia, re¬ 
lating that he also restored the temple of Ishtar; and 
inscriptions to the same purport of the monarchs Assur- 
nazir-pal, b.c. 885, and Shalmaneser II., b.c. 860. 


AT KOUYUNJIK. 


141 


North of this spot I came on some very curious 
pottery ornamented with figures laid on the clay, the 
nature of which will best be shown by the accom- 



POTTERY FROM KOUYUNJIK. 


panyingfigure. Between the chambers in the centre of 
the mound and the eastern edge the trenches revealed 
fragments of a palace and temple. The remains of 
the temple were most of them found in a square 
chamber, seemingly of later date, built up of stones 
from the Assyrian buildings near it. All along the 
walls were placed small square slabs with inscriptions 
of Assurbanipal dedicated to the goddess of Nineveh, 
none of them in their original position. Near this 
chamber I found fragments of an obelisk in black 
stone built into a later wall, and many fragments 


142 


BX0AYATI0N8 


belonging to a palace which stood in this neighbour¬ 
hood : among these was an inscription of Mutaggil- 
Nusku, king of Assyria, b.c. 1170, and several frag¬ 
ments from sculptured walls with representations of 



Procession of Warriors. 


processions of warriors. To the north of this spot 
near the southern corner of Assurbanipal’s palace I 
found the head of a female divinity, the hair arranged 
in bunches of curls on each side, the face exhibiting 
the usual corpulent style of Assyrian female beauty. 
In the southern corner of the north palace I exca¬ 
vated again for tablets, but did not here obtain so 
many as I did in my first expedition, but among those 
I did find, were some of great importance. One of the 
first fragments which turned up here was the opening 
portion of a copy from an early Babylonian inscrip- 






AT KOUYUNJIK. 


143 


tion, giving the names of six new Babylonian kings, 
and some curious details of early Babylonian history. 
Some time later I found here a new portion of the 
sixth tablet of the deluge series. Finding this de¬ 
posit of tablets not yielding very 
freely I struck new trenches round 
it, but was rewarded by very 
few fragments. One of the new 
trenches, however, came upon 
some later remains, including a 
beautiful blue glass Roman bottle 
with heads on both sides; and 
another produced a large vase of 
the Sassanian period, with two or 
three coins. This vase, which was 
perfect, and one of the largest dis¬ 
covered, I presented to the Imperial Museum at 
Constantinople. Further search in the southern 
corner of this palace revealed a ruined entrance 
with the bases of two columns in the doorway; one 
of these I gave to the Turkish Museum, the other I 
brought to England. When excavating this en¬ 
trance I discovered a beautiful bilingual tablet, 
perfect, lying on the pavement near the entrance of 
the palace. 

In the south-west palace I excavated at the grand 
entrance to see if any records remained under the 
pavement, but there were none. This part of the 
pavement had been broken through, and anything 
under it had long ago been carried away. I placed 



Roman Bottle. 


144 


EXCAVATIONS 


some trenches in the grand hall and found a frag¬ 
ment of inscription, and further on in the palace I 
found several fragments. My principal excavation 
was, however, carried on over what Layard calls the 
library chamber of this palace. Layard, who dis¬ 
covered the library chamber, describes it as full of 
fragments of tablets, up to a foot or more from the 
floor. This chamber Layard cleared out and brought 
its treasures to England, but I was satisfied on ex¬ 
amining the collection at the British Museum that 
not one half of the library had been brought home, 
and steadily adhered to the belief that the rest of the 
tablets must be in the palace of Sennacherib. In 
accordance with this idea I found nearly three thou¬ 
sand fragments of tablets in the chambers round 
Layard’s library chamber, and from the positions of 
these fragments I am led to the opinion that the 
library was not originally in these chambers but in 
an upper storey of the palace, and that on the ruin 
of the building they fell into the chambers below. 
Some of the chambers in which I found inscribed 
tablets had no communication with each other, while 
fragments of the same tablets were in them; and 
looking at this fact, and the positions and distribution 
of the fragments, the hypothesis that the library was 
in the upper storey of the palace seems to me the 
most likely one. 

Believing that the tablets were scattered over a 
wide area, I resolved to take a section of the palace, 
round the region of the so-called library chamber, 


AT KOUYUNJIK. 


145 


and clear away the top earth entirely, as the ground 
was so perforated by the old tunnels and trenches 
that further operations of this sort were impossible. 
Having to clear away the top earth my labour was 
very much heavier than that of the former exca¬ 
vators, and, necessarily, for some time my operations 
were slow and my results small, but on reaching 
the level of the palace I was amply rewarded by the 
discovery of numerous valuable antiquities. I com¬ 
menced operations by drawing an oval line about 
700 feet round as the boundary of my field of 
operations. This line passed over the centre of the 
south-east court of the palace, then turning west ran 
along north of the long gallery where Layard found 
the representations of the dragging along of the 
winged figures and building the mounds, then turn¬ 
ing south it went along over the chambers at the 
west of the palace, and turning eastward ran along 
to the bottom of the south-east court. I placed my 
men along this line in companies, and directed them 
to first remove the hills of rubbish thrown upon the 
surface of the mound. by the former excavators, 
carefully searching over the earth to recover any 
fragments of cuneiform inscriptions which might still 
remain in the rubbish. These hills of earth and 
fragments were considerable, and some time elapsed 
before we got rid of them. When these were cleared 
out of the way I commenced attacking the mound 
itself, clearing away layer after layer of the rubbish 
which had accumulated in ancient times over the 
L 


146 


EXCAVATIONS 



Terra-cotta Vase. 


palace. At first in removing this very little was 
found, and what did turn up consisted principally of 
modern objects—coins, pot¬ 
tery, and glass—but on going 
deeper we came to tbe As¬ 
syrian cuneiform tablets, rare 
and fragmentary at first, 
more plentiful as we de¬ 
scended to greater depths. 
In the south-eastern court 
I penetrated to the pave¬ 
ment, and in front of one 
of the entrances on the western side I discovered 
the lintel of a doorway ; it was formed of a block 
of stone six feet long, and was sculptured along 
the face. In the centre was an ornamental cup 
or vase, with two handles; on each side of the 
vase stood a winged griffin or dragon, looking to¬ 
wards the centre, having a long neck and an orna¬ 
ment or collar round it just behind the head. Over 
the cup and the dragon was an ornament of honey¬ 
suckles. This curious lintel is the first Assyrian 
object of the kind which has been discovered, and I 
saw it lifted out of the excavation with much plea¬ 
sure. In its fall from its elevated position it had 
broken in two, which rendered it easier for me to 
transport, but even then it required two donkeys to 
carry it. 

In the long gallery, which contained scenes re¬ 
presenting the moving of winged figures, I found a 
great number of tablets, mostly along the floor; they 



AT KOTTYUNJIK. 


147 


included syllabaries, bilingual lists, mythological and 
historical tablets. Among these tablets I discovered 
a beautiful bronze Assyrian fork, having 
two prongs joined by ornamental shoulder 
to shaft of spiral work, the shaft ending in 
the head of an ass. This is a beautiful and 
unique specimen of Assyrian work, and 
shows the advances the people had made in 
the refinements of life. South of this there 
were numerous tablets round Layard’s old 
library chamber, and here I found part of 
a curious astrolabe, and fragments of the 
history of Sargon, king of Assyria, b.c. 722. 

In one place, below the level of the floor, 

I discovered a fine fragment of the history 
of Assurbanipal, containing new and curious 
matter relating to his Egyptian wars, and 
to the affairs of Gyges, king of Lydia. 

From this part of the palace I gained also 
the shoulder of a colossal statue, with an 
inscription of Assurbanipal. In another spot 
I obtained a bone spoon and a fragment of 
the tablet with the history of the seven evil 

Bronze Fork. 


Bone Spoon. 


I discovered a bronze style, with 



spirits. Near this 



148 


EXCAVATIONS 


which I believe the cuneiform tablets were impressed. 
In another part of the excavation I found part of a 
monument with the representation of a fortification. 
In the western part of the palace, near the edge of 
the mound, I excavated and found remains of crystal 
and alabaster vases, and specimens of the royal seal. 
Two of these are very curious; one is a paste seal, 
the earliest example of its kind, and the other is a 
clay impression of the seal of Sargon king of Assyria. 



Dead Buffalo in Water. 


Near where the principal seals were discovered I 
found part of a sculpture with a good figure of a 
dead buffalo in a stream. Among these sculptures 
and inscriptions were numerous small objects, includ¬ 
ing beads, rings, stone seals, &c. 

When I commenced the excavations in January I 
had only forty men, but I increased them every day 
until they numbered nearly 600, and when they were 
at work the mound presented an interesting appear- 


AT KOUYUNJIK. 


149 


ance of bustle and activity. I was reluctant to en¬ 
gage so many men, as I could not exercise an effi¬ 
cient control over so large a number, but tbe short 
time I had for work compelled me to use every effort 
to realize as much as possible before the close of the 
firman. I have mentioned in the account of my 
journey the severe weather I met with on the road 
to Mosul. Similar weather continued while the ex^ 
cavations were on. Snow lay on the mountains in 
sight of Mosul, and on some days ice remained on 
the mound of Kouyunjik all day. Further up the 
country the snow was very deep, and in the gorges 
of the mountains attained a height of ten feet. The 
melting snows and heavy rains swelled the river 
Tigris, and the river overflowed large tracts of land 
on the east bank. During these inundations the 
bridge of boats was removed, and all traffic between 
the two sides of the river passed over in ferry boats. 
I had at one time to ferry all my men across the 
river for several days, at great expense and loss of 
time. At the beginning of February the excava¬ 
tions ceased entirely for several days, through the 
interference of the Turkish officials, and after I had 
recommenced a charge was brought against me that 
I had disturbed a Mahomedan tomb, and a Turkish 
officer was sent to examine the mound and report 
upon the subject. Directly I was cleared of this, I 
had a difficulty with the owners of the mound, who 
were encouraged by a third party to demand £250 
compensation for my excavations. The agents of 


150 


EXCAVATIONS 


the British government had already paid in a lump 
sum for the ground, and they had no right to demand 
anything. I offered £10, which was ample compen¬ 
sation, or I would have rented the ground, but the 
owners declined these propositions, and carried the 
matter before the local court. Abdi Effendi, the 
governor of Mosul, then sent a commission to exa¬ 
mine the mound, and report on the extent and nature 
of my excavations, with a view to fix an adequate 
sum for me to pay. The court and commission were 
prejudiced against me, but they were compelled to 
say I disturbed little ground, confining as I did my 
operations to the trenches already opened and paid 
for, but they said as I had offered £10 the court 
could not fix on a lower sum, and judged me to pay 
£12. I at once paid this money, telling them that I 
was not concerned about a pound more or less, but 
wished to be on good terms with them. After this 
I found out one of my chiefs, Ali Rahal, in dishonest 
practices, and dismissed him. He having a large 
following among the Jebour Arabs gave me after¬ 
wards some trouble, and to quiet matters I was 
obliged to again take him into my service. Just 
before the close of my excavations an accusation of 
blasphemy was brought against my dragoman, and 
as I saw that the governor listened to these stories, 
and that those around me took advantage of the 
hostility of the officials to cheat me, I closed the ex¬ 
cavations on the 12th of March, and prepared to 


AT KOUYUNJIK. 


151 


leave for England. Abdi Effendi, the governor of 
Mosul, refused, however, to let me go unless I gave 
him half the antiquities. I told him I could not 
comply with this, and I was kept at Mosul in conse¬ 
quence until the 4th of April. All this time the 
Turkish governor pretended to take an interest in 
preserving the various antiquities in the country, but 
this profession was only made to hinder me. The 
natives broke down one side of the northern gate in 
the wall of Nineveh, and the governor took no notice, 
although I called his attention to it. The ruin of 
this gateway is a great misfortune, as it was one 
of the most curious sights at Nineveh. After 
waiting nearly a month at Mosul, on the appli¬ 
cation of the British ambassador at Constanti¬ 
nople, the Porte granted satisfactory terms to settle 
the matter. I was to have six weeks’ extension of 
time for excavations, and power to remove all dis¬ 
coveries excepting half of duplicates, which were to 
be given to the Imperial Museum at Constantinople. 
These terms, which I heard on the 1st of April, were 
very satisfactory, but they came so late that all my 
money was expended, and I was not able to recom¬ 
mence excavations. I therefore gave up to the 
Turkish officers the duplicate antiquities in my col¬ 
lection, and left Mosul on the 4th of April. 

Before leaving the town, I pointed out to the 
Turkish officers who had charge of the collection I 
had given to the Porte, a number of fine sculptures 


152 EXCAVATIONS AT KOUYUNJIE. 


and a colossal statue, which I recommended them to 
remove to Constantinople, but they said they would 
not pay for moving them; and I had even to give 
them a box to keep the smaller antiquities in which 
I had presented to them. 





Chapter X. 

RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 

Khan Baleos.—Mosul.—Departure.—Severe weather.—Stop¬ 
page.—Tel Adas.—Semil.—Discontent of soldiers.—Want of 
pay. — Durnak.—Crossing the Hazel. — Djezireh. — Circassian 
guides.—Their outrages.—Yarenshaher.—Orfa.—Curiosities.— 
Biradjik.—Antiquities stopped.—Ride to Aleppo.—Difficulties 
with Pacha.—Release of boxes.—Embarkation.—Return. 

AVING gone so often over the same 
ground, I have only my troubles and 
difficulties to relate in this journey 
home. Having settled at last with 
the Turkish officials, and paid no end of back¬ 
sheesh, in the afternoon of the 4th of April I left 
the khan Baleos, where I was staying, and went 
down to the Tigris. The khan Baleos is situated 
near the eastern corner of the town of Mosul, and is 
a very convenient place for travellers. Mosul itself 
is a large town surrounded by a wall and ditch, 
about four miles round. The city was an important 
one in the middle ages, but it is much decayed and 
the fortifications are in ruinous condition, the streets 
arc as usual very narrow, dirty, and uneven, but 
there are some very good houses in the town. The 







154 j RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 

severe winter weather had again flooded the Tigris 
at the time of my departure, and I had to cross my 
party over on ferry boats. No sooner had we reached 
the eastern shore than a storm came on, and after 
riding in it some time, finding it did not abate, we 
turned into the village of Kazekoi, and were obliged 
to stay there all next day as the weather did not 
improve. On the 6th of April I started from Kazekoi 
to reach Tel Adas, and my caravan proceeded all 
right at first, but a storm came on, and after riding 
through it for some time we reached a gully or rut 
in the road which passed across the whole country. 
The storm had filled this with water and it was 
utterly impossible to get the animals across, so I was 
obliged to turn and seek a village on the south side 
of it. We attempted to cross the country, but found 
the ground in such a state of bog that the mules 
sank over a foot in the earth, and sometimes got so 
fixed that they could not move. The storm con¬ 
tinued furious, and I only got out of the difficulty 
by engaging some wandering Arabs to drag the 
animals out of the mud and help them along to 
the nearest village. This hamlet was called Kufru; 
it presented no attractions at any other time, but 
now in my need I was glad of any shelter and 
ready to put up with worse accommodation. After 
a night’s rest we started on the morning of the 7th 
of April, our host, the chief of Kufru, going with me 
to show the way. The gully which we could not 
pass the day before was not so full of water now, 


RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 


155 


and we forded it without danger. On this day 
I only made Tel Adas, as the animals were tired 
from the exertions of the previous day, and I wanted 
to dry my clothes before going further. To-day our 
lodging at Tel Adas presented an appearance like a 
laundry, all my clothes and other things being taken 
out of the boxes and arranged to dry. All these 
things being arranged, I started again on the 8th 
of April and rode to Semil. At Semil I found great 
discontent, as the zabtis, or irregular troops, declared 
that they had been paid no salary since the time 
when Abdi Effendi was appointed governor. Some 
of the men threw down their arms, and declared that 
they would serve no longer; but as I paid well for 
their services, I was easily able to change my guides, 
and went on from there to a place named Gulres. 
From Gulres I started on the 9th and went through 
the Zaccho Pass, then along to the east, ascending 
the south bank of the Ivhabour to an old high- 
crowned bridge, over which I crossed the river, 
then descended the north bank to a spot near its 
junction with the Hazel. Here, at a village named 
Durnak, I put up for the night. The chief of 
Durnak was a wretched-looking old specimen of 
humanity, whose appearance lent some colour to 
Mr. Darwin’s theory, and he had a son as good- 
looking and well clothed as himself, but these people 
thought much of themselves because they were 
Mahomedans, and despised me as a Frangi, that is 
a Frank or Christian, and when the son did not 


156 


RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 


immediately obey him, the father called out in 
anger, u Why don’t you do it, are you a Mussul¬ 
man or a Frangi?” The accommodation at Durnak 
was not first class, and I was glad to get away next 
morning to cross the Hazel. This stream was much 
swollen by the rains and too deep to ford, so we had 
‘to wait for a raft, which came in the course of the 
morning. This was the most rickety old concern 
I ever trusted myself upon, consisting of a few 
branches of trees laid on goat-skins; but I got over 
without any accident, and then went on towards 
Djezireh. Unable to reach Djezireh the same day, 
I turned to a village beside the Tigris and asked 
shelter, but this the people refused, and I passed on 
until I reached a swollen tributary of the Tigris, the 
name of which I do not know; I crossed this with 
difficulty, and ascended a steep hill to a village where 
I was again refused shelter. I started my caravan, 
and rode on again along a beautiful road with 
romantic rocks on one side and the valley of the 
Tigris on the other; ascending again a steep hill, 
I came to a village on the summit, and was enabled 
to stop. The place was not fit to sleep in, so I paid 
some Eastern gipsies to erect me a tent, and under 
that I slept. While here, a native band came to 
play before my tent, making a hideous noise; I told 
them I did not want them and that they should go 
away. These people answered that they must have 
their backsheesh whether they played or not, so 
I gave them some money to get rid of their noise. 


RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 


157 


On the 11th of April I left this village, which was 
named Kerook, and travelled to Djezireh. On 
reaching the shore opposite Djezireh I found the 
river Tigris flooded and the bridge of boats re¬ 
moved ; I had consequently to wait for a ferry-boat 
to cross the river. At Djezireh I found a consi¬ 
derable change and great activity in the government 
offices; there was every sign of a new and efficient 
governor, and if this activity continues a better state 
of this part of the country may be expected. From 
Djezireh I rode to Sharabarazi and from there to 
Aznowa. In these districts the people were inhos¬ 
pitable and the accommodation bad, while the rains 
had rendered the roads so wretched that we had 
sometimes to drag the mules one by one through 
the mud and then wash them in the nearest stream. 
Slow progress was made, and on the 14th I only 
reached Nisibin, which I left next morning and tra¬ 
velled to Ibrahim. 

My guides at this time were two Circassians, and 
on entering the village of Ibrahim the people said 
they would not receive them, and one old villager 
brought out his gun threatening to shoot the soldiers 
if they came into his house. After much bother 
I got another of the villagers to admit my party, 
and then, as we sat waiting for tea, the master of 
the house related some stories of the past exploits 
of the Chetchen or Circassians, which accounted for 
the aversion of the villagers to them. One of these 
stories was as follows. Some time previously two 


158 


RETURN FROM ASSYRIA . 


Circassians called at the village and were entertained 
by my host, who after providing a supper for them 
offered them a bed for the night. The Circassians 
declined to stop through the night, and went on, as 
the villagers thought, to another hamlet; but they 
really only went to a ravine near, where they hid 
themselves until about midnight. In the middle of the 
night my host was awakened by the barking of the vil¬ 
lage dogs, and got up and went out with his son, each 
carrying a gun. They found the two Circassians had 
made an opening in their stable and were trying to 
get out a horse. The Circassians on being discovered 
fled and were fired after; but although shots were 
exchanged on both sides the darkness prevented 
anybody being hit. My Circassians admitted they 
were professional robbers, and listened with indif¬ 
ference to the complaints of my host; but when 
another native taunted one of the Circassians with 
having been driven from the house where they re¬ 
fused to admit me, the man roused and said to the 
native: “ Beware, I roam these deserts like a wolf, 
and if I catch you outside the village I will murder 
you.” And with these words of blood on his lips my 
Circassian turned to our host and asked the direction 
of Mecca, then, spreading his cloak on the ground, 
he looked towards the holy city and engaged in 
prayer as peacefully as if he did no violence. Such 
are the people I was forced to employ, and I was 
yet to hear more of their misdeeds. 

Leaving Ibrahim I travelled along the desert to- 


BETJJBN FBOM ASSYBIA. 159 

wards Yarenshaher, and got further to the south than 
in my former journey. On the evening of the 16th 
of April, after a long and tiring day’s ride, I found 
refuge in some tents beside a small stream; the 
natives called the encampment Khazil, but the people 
shift about, and these names cannot be depended 
upon. From Khazil I rode on the 17th to Yaren¬ 
shaher, and on the way called at Calah, where I 
stayed on my journey out. The people here were 
glad to see me, and pressed me to stay; they told me 
they had been nearly ruined by the Circassians, 
some of whom had called and been well treated, after 
which, on leaving the tents, they had ridden off with 
the people’s horses. My host at Calah had applied 
to the court, but could get no redress, as one of the 
principal officers was a Circassian and the judge or 
cadi had married a Circassian wife. The people of 
Calah said that having no redress they had resolved 
themselves to punish any stragglers of the Circassians 
who fell into their power, and they said if it had not 
been for my presence they would have seized my 
man. In the evening I reached Yarenshaher, and 
intended to stay there, but found the place not very 
inviting. The governor had left Yarenshaher on a 
visit to some neighbouring place, and the Chetchen 
or Circassians, although in the service of the Porte, 
had made up an expedition to plunder Yarenshaher; 
the deputy whom the governor had left at Yaren¬ 
shaher was among the victims of this raid; one of 
the soldiers held him by the throat, while the others 


160 RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 

ransacked his place. When I saw him he appeared 
not to have recovered from his fright, and as he said 
the robbers were still prowling about I judged Yaren- 
shaher to be a bad place to stay in, and requested 
the deputy to give me a guide to Orfa, as my two 
Circassians now declared they would go no further. 
With the new guide provided by the deputy I started 
about eleven o’clock at night, but I had no sooner 
got outside Yarenshaher than my guide and guard 
bolted, leaving me in the wilderness. I wandered 
on until, guided by the bark of some dogs, I found 
an Arab encampment, and here I got a shelter for 
the rest of the night. Next morning I resolved to travel 
without the government guards, and I got one of the 
Arabs to show me the road to Orfa, and he led me 
across the desert to a path which runs between Yaren¬ 
shaher and Easelain, a desolate road on which 
scarcely a tent appeared, and where there was very 
little traffic. 

After a long day’s ride I found some tents pitched 
beside a small stream, and rested there for the 
night; then starting again on the morning of the 19th 
of April, went along a fair road with ruins of old 
towns, and entered the range of mountains that 
girdles the plain of Orfa. On emerging into the 
plain I left my caravan and galloped across the flat, 
here about eighteen miles, to the city of Orfa. In 
Orfa I rested the next day, and called on the pacha, 
a polite and intelligent gentleman, who was always 
glad to see me. I was told that he was a bigoted 


RETURN FROM ASSYRIA . 


161 


Mohamedan and strongly opposed to the Christians, 
but of course I saw nothing of this. He spoke to me 
of railways, canals, &c., and expressed the wish that 
some European company would make a canal from 
Orfa to the Euphrates, which would develop a con¬ 
siderable traffic. The pacha told me of a curiosity 
to be seen at Orfa, about which they relate a story 
worthy of the days of Herodotus. This curiosity 
consisted of two small figures, made of a peculiar 
shrub, partly trained and twisted, and partly cut 
into the form of a man and woman, very rudely done, 
and stained over to give them the appearance of 
having grown in that shape. The man who sold 
these articles declared that they grew in a field far 
away from there, and that anyone trying to draw 
one out of the ground would be killed by the noise 
they made, so the inhabitants, in order to obtain 
them, tied a dog by a string to each figure, and then 
went a long distance off. As soon as the dog pulled 
the string and drew the creature out of the ground 
the noise it made killed the dog, and the men coming 
up secured the curiosity. It is a sign of the intel¬ 
lectual state of this country that men who object to 
schools and Christian influence, believe such rubbish 
as this. 

On the 21st I left Orfa and travelled to Dabun, 
and from there went on next day to Biradjik. At Bir- 
adjik the Euphrates was a difficulty; the flood of the 
river was enormous, and that day I could not cross. 
Next morning, after making my preparations and get- 
M 


162 RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 

ting my things to the river, the custom-house people 
came down and declared that as my boxes contained 
antiquities they must seize them. I showed these 
gentlemen my firman giving me the right to the 
things; I showed them the order from Mosul, which 
stated that I had complied with all the demands of 
the Turkish government, and had the right to export 
the things; I showed them my government order 
for the road, directing all the functionaries to assist 
me on my journey with the antiquities: but it was all 
of no avail. I was dealing with Turkish officials, 
and they would not let the things pass. The utmost 
I could gain was that the boxes should be locked up 
under joint seals of the customs officer and myself. 
Now I resolved to cross the Euphrates with my 
dragoman and a guide and ride to Aleppo, a distance 
of thirty hours, to lay my complaint before our con¬ 
sul, Mr. Skene. 

I started about half-past one in the afternoon, but 
the guide at once dropped behind and disappeared. 
Disregarding this, my dragoman and I rode on the 
rest of the day and all night, reaching Aleppo at six 
o’clock next morning. I at once laid my complaint 
of the illegal seizure before Mr. Skene, who promptly 
demanded that the pacha should send and order the 
officers at Biradjik to release the things, and Mr. 
Skene sent one of his own Cawasses to Biradjik with 
my man to see that the order was carried out. The 
pacha gave an order to release the things, but being a 
Turkish official he sent orders also that the Biradjik 


RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 163 

officials should send a soldier with them, and bring 
them to him at the serai or government house at 
Aleppo. When the things arrived at Aleppo I would 
not consent to their being taken to the serai, know¬ 
ing that I had Mr. Skene to support me; and I sent 
the soldier to the serai without them, telling him 
they were the property of the British government 
and not of the pacha. The pacha did not make any 
further demand, as he knew he had no right in the 
matter, but he refused to let me leave Aleppo with 
the things, urging the ridiculous plea that my per¬ 
mission to export was signed by an officer lower 
in rank than himself, and therefore he could not re¬ 
cognize it. Mr. Skene, our consul, was obliged to 
telegraph to the British ambassador at Constantinople 
to ask the Porte to compel the pacha to let the 
boxes pass, and then, after the orders had come from 
Constantinople, the pacha declared he had not re¬ 
ceived them. On pressure from Mr. Skene he was 
afterwards forced to acknowledge the receipt of the 
orders; but even then our consul was obliged to de¬ 
mand that the letters from the pacha to his subor¬ 
dinates to permit the export of the antiquities should 
be open, that there might be no more tricks. Open 
letters were then given, which I presented at the port 
of Alexandretta, and exported the antiquities. During 
my forced detention at Aleppo I was often the guest 
of Mr. Skene, who so worthily represents British 
interests there. Mr. Skene has an extensive knowledge 
of Turkey, and great experience in dealing with the 


164 RETURN FROM ASSYRIA. 

Ottoman officials. Dr. Tomazini pointed out to me, 
during my stay here, some curious inscriptions built 
into the walls of old mosques and houses, and among 
these I found a new Hamath inscription. These texts 
are named after the city of Hamath, where they were 
first discovered. The characters in them are hiero¬ 
glyphic, but quite distinct from the hieroglyphics of 
Egypt. At present very few specimens of these 
inscriptions are known; so that this one in Aleppo 
had some importance. No clue has yet been disco¬ 
vered to the reading of these texts. I visited also in 
Aleppo the Russian consul, a gentleman of consider¬ 
able influence, who has a great taste for antiquities. 
I left Aleppo on the 14th of May, and arrived at 
Alexandretta on the 17th. Here Mr. Franck, the 
British consul, very kindly received me, and I stayed 
with him until the 23rd of May, when I embarked 
on a steamer for Alexandria, and on the 26th trans¬ 
ferred myself from that to the Peninsular and Ori¬ 
ental Company’s boat “ Indus,” on which I returned 
to England, arriving in London on the 9th of June. 





Chapter XI. 

THE IZDUBAR OR FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 

Chaldean account of flood.—New portions.—Izdnbar.—Pro¬ 
bably Nimrod.—Antiquity of legends.—Conquests of Izdubar. 
—His illness.—Hasisadra.—The flood.'—Erech.—Conquest of 
Monster.—Zaidu.—Heabani.—Humbaba.—Ishtar.—Divine bull. 
—Death of Heabani.—Izdubar’s sorrow.—His journey.—The 
giants.—Hasisadra.—Account of deluge.—Building the ark.— 
The flood.—Mountains of Nizir.—The birds.—Translation of 
patriarch.—Cure of Izdubar.—His lament.—Ghost of Heabani, 
—Comparison with Bible and Berosus.—Remarks. 

HESE legends, which I discovered in 
1872, formed the subject of my lecture 
before the Society of Biblical Archseo- 
logy on the 3rd of December, 1872, and 
attracted very great attention. On that occasion I 
principally translated the eleventh tablet in the series, 
which contains the Chaldean account of the deluge. 
About one-third of this tablet was then either muti¬ 
lated or absent, and all the other tablets were in still 
worse condition. In my excavations at Kouyunjik I 
have recovered many new portions of these inscrip¬ 
tions, which number in all twelve tablets, and I now 
for the first time give an account of all the fragments. 






166 


TEE IZDUBAR OB 


There is still much required before the series will 
be complete, and I have as yet only identified six 
tablets out of the twelve, these are the 5th, 6th, 9th, 
10th, 11th and 12th; I have found, however, a great 
number of fragments of the others which will serve to 
fill up and illustrate the legends. Independently of the 
fact that these tablets give the Chaldean account of 
the flood, they form one of the most remarkable series 
of inscriptions yet discovered. These tablets record 
q>rimarily the adventures of an hero whose name I 
have provisionally called Izdubar. Izdubar is, how¬ 
ever, nothing more than a makeshift name, and I am 
of opinion that this hero is the same as the Nimrod of 
the Bible. 

The “ Izdubar Legends ” appear to me to have been 
composed during the early Babylonian empire, more 
than 2,000 years b. c. In primitive times, Babylonia 
was divided into several small states, and the rest of 
Western Asia was in a similar or worse condition. 

So far as the fragments of the u Izdubar Legends ” 
are preserved, they lead to the conclusion that Izdubar 
or Nimrod, a great hunter or giant, obtained the 
dominion of the district round Babylon, and after¬ 
wards drove out some tyrant who ruled over Erech, 
adding this region to his kingdom. Later, he sent 
and destroyed a monster which preyed on the sur¬ 
rounding lands; and a seer or astrologer named Hea- 
bani came to his court at Erech, becoming his close 
friend. Together Izdubar and Heabani destroy other 
wild animals, and conquer a chief named Humbaba, 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


167 


who ruled in a mountainous region full of pine-trees. 
Another chief named Belesu was next subdued, and 
then an animal called u the divine bull” was killed. 
Izdubar was now in the height of his power, and 
ruled over all the valley of the Euphrates and Tigris, 
from the Persian Gulf to the Armenian Mountains. 
Misfortunes now set in,—first Heabani was killed by 
a wild animal called a “tamabukku,” the nature of 
which I have not ascertained ; next Izdubar was 
struck with a disease, apparently, from the descrip¬ 
tion, a kind of leprosy. Izdubar went on a wan¬ 
dering excursion to the sea-coast to be cured of his 
malady, and is supposed there to have met the deified 
hero who escaped the flood. In the new fragments 
I found at Kouyunjik, I discovered that this hero 
bore the name of Hasisadra , which is the origin of 
the Greek form of his name, Xisithrus. Hasisadra 
is supposed to have told Izdubar how to obtain his 
cure, and then the king returned to Erech, and again 
mourned over his friend Heabani. The legends close 
with a petition to the gods for Heabani, who, after 
his death, is in the lower region of the departed, or 
Hell. Hea, one of the gods, listens to this prayer, 
and releases Heabani, who then rises to heaven. 

During the early Babylonian monarchy, from B.c. 
2,500 to 1,500, there are constant allusions to these 
legends. The destruction of the lion, the divine bull, 
and other monsters, by Izdubar, are often depicted 
on the cylinders and engraved gems, and Izdubar in 
his boat is also on some specimens. The legend of 


168 


THE IZDUBAR OR 


the flood is alluded to in the inscriptions of the same 
epoch, and the “city of the ark” is mentioned in a 
geographical list, which is one of the oldest cunei¬ 
form inscriptions we possess. I have related how I 
heard, on the banks of the Tigris, what appeared to 
be one of the Izdubar legends, that of the animal 
dwelling in the cave; there appears to be another in 
the curious Arabic work called the u Stories of 
Nimrod,” where we are told that Nimrod was by 
divine power struck with disease, from which he suf¬ 
fered torture, and ultimately died. 

In my description of these legends I will first take 
up the unplaced fragments as they belong to the 
earlier tablets, and afterwards consider the more 
perfect portions of the story. 

The legends of Izdubar open with the words: “ The 
waters of the fountain he had seen, the hero, Izdubar.” 
After this line it is not possible to place any of the 
fragments in position until we come to the fifth tablet, 
but there are many fragments which probably belong 
to this part, and first among these I am inclined to 
place the fragment numbered K 3200 in the museum 
collection. 

This fragment is part of the third column of one 
of the tablets, and it gives a portion of the account of 
an ancient conquest of Erech, the city mentioned in 
Genesis x. 10. The following is rather a free than a 
literal translation. 

1. his ... . he left 

2. his ... . went down to the river 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


169 


3. in the river his ships were placed. 


4 .were .... and wept bitterly 

5 .placed, the city of Ganganna was power¬ 

less. 

6 .their .... she asses 

7 .their .... great. 


8. Like animals the people feared, 

9. like doves the slaves mourned. 

10. The gods of Erech Subari 

11. turned to flies and concealed themselves among 
the locusts ? 

12. The spirits of Erech Suburi 

13. turned to Sikkim, and went out with zabat fishes. 

14. For three years the city of Erech could not 
resist the enemy, 

15. the great gates were thrown down and trampled 
upon, 

16. the goddess Ishtar before her enemies could 
not lift her head. 

17. Bel his mouth opened and spake 

18. to Ishtar the queen a speech he made 

19. u . . . . in the midst of Nipur my hands 


20 .my . . Babylon Bit-haduti 

21 .my . . 1 have given my hands.” 


This fragment relates an early conquest of Erech 
which is generally called in these legends Erech 
Suburi or Erech the “blessed.” I conjecture that the 
lost portions of the tablet relate how Izdubar freed 
the city and obtained the government. 

The next fragment is a considerable but obscure 








170 


THE IZDUBAR OB 


portion of the story ; it opens with a petition from 
Izdubar, who appears to have had a dream and desires 
to get a learned man named Heabani to come and 
explain it. Heabani is a sort of hermit, very learned 
and living a solitary life, and he appears to have been 
in the clutches of a dragon, which inhabited a cave or 
hole that it had dug out of the rock. 

The legend is here mutilated, but it appears that 
someone begat or created a man named Zaidu or u the 
hunter,” and he went to try to destroy the creature. 
Zaidu stopped three days in front of the den of the 
monster, but feared to encounter him, and turned 
back and told his father of his failure. His father in 
answer told him to go to Erech and lay the matter 
before Izdubar, which he did, telling him how he had 
climbed up to the den, but feared to attack the 
creature. 

Izdubar directed Zaidu to go again to the place, 
and to take two females with him, that they might 
show themselves to the monster, and he might come 
forth and be killed. This was done according to the 
directions of Izdubar, and then one female tempted 
Heabani to come to Erech, in order to interpret the 
dream of Izdubar. Here the tablet reads— 

a. He turned and sat at the feet of Harimtu. 

b. Harimtu bent down her face, 

c. and Harimtu spoke, and his ears heard, 

d. and after this manner also she said to Heabani: 

e. u Heabani like a god art thou, 

/. Why do you associate with the reptiles in the 
desert ? 


FLOOD SERIFS OF LEGENDS. 171 

g . I will take thee to the midst of Erech Suburi, 

h. to the temple of Elli-tardusi the seat of Anu 
and Ishtar, 

i. the place of Izdubar the mighty giant, 

j. and like a bull thou shalt rule over the chiefs.” 

k. She spake to him and made her speech, 

l . The wisdom of his heart she turned, &c., &c. 

After this Heabani goes to Erech to interpret the 

dream of Izdubar, and becomes the close companion 
and devoted servant of the monarch. Numerous 
fragments give parts of the exploits of Izdubar and 
Heabani; but it is only when the story reaches the 
fifth tablet that it becomes connected. At the com¬ 
mencement of the fifth tablet, one of the parties in 
the story is represented standing astonished at a 
splendid forest of pines, near the retreat of a person 
named Humbaba. Izdubar and Heabani are in con¬ 
flict with Humbaba; and this tablet ends with the 
death of Humbaba, whose head is cut off. There is, 
however, not sufficient anywhere to make a literal 
translation. 

The sixth tablet relates to matters between Izdu¬ 
bar and Ishtar, the goddess of Erech; who was the 
goddess of love and passion, both in man and animals. 
This fact accounts for some of the curious statements 
of the tablet. The following is a translation of the 
tablet:— 

Column I. 

1.Belesu, he despised Belesu. 

2. Like a bull his country he ascended after him. 



172 


TEE IZDUBAU OB 


3. He destroyed him and his memorial was hidden. 

4. The country he wasted, setting up another 
crown. 

5. Izdubar his crown put on (setting up another 
crown). 

6. For the favour of Izdubar the princess Ishtar 
lifted her eyes, 

7. “I will take thee Izdubar as husband, 

8. thy oath to me shall be thy bond, 

9. thou shalt be husband and I will be thy wife. 

10. Thou shalt drive in a chariot of ukni stone 
and gold, 

11. of which the body is gold and splendid its 
pole. 

12. Thou shalt acquire days of great conquests, 

13. to Bitani in the country where the pine trees 
grow. 

14. May Bitani at thy entrance 

15. to the river Euphrates kiss thy feet, 

16. There shall be under thee kings, lords, and 
princes. 

17. The tribute of the mountains and plains they 
shall bring to thee, taxes 

18. they shall give thee, may thy herds and flocks 
bring forth twins, 


19 .mules be swift 

20 .in the chariot strong not weak 

21 .in the yoke. A rival may there 


not be. 

The next portion of the legend is mutilated. It 





FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


173 


records how Izdubar answered Ishtar. The remainder 
of Column I. (twenty-three lines) is too imperfect to 
translate; and then the legend proceeds as follows:— 

Column II. 

1. . . his hand 

2. to Dumuzi (Tammuz) thy injured husband 

3. country after country is mourning his misfor¬ 
tune 

4. Alalu bitru also thou didst love 

5. thou didst strike him, and his wings thou 
breakest 

6. He stood in the forest, and begged for his 
wings. 

In the succeeding lines various amours of Ishtar 
are described. These I do not give, as their details 
are not suited for general reading. Izdubar con¬ 
cludes his speech by refusing to have anything to do 
with her. The legend then proceeds :— 

36. Ishtar this heard, and 

37. Ishtar was angry, and to heaven she ascended. 

38. and Ishtar went to the presence of Anu her 
father, 

39. to the presence of Anunit her mother she went, 
and said: 

40. “ Father Izdubar hates me, and 

Column IY. 

1. Izdubar despises my beauty, 

2. my beauty and my charms.’’ 


174 


TEE IZEVBAB OB 


There followed here a fragmentary dialogue between 
Ishtar and her father Anu, and she petitions her 
father to make a winged bull, to be the instrument of 
her vengeance against Izdubar. 

The god Anu made the winged bull, and then 
commenced a contest between Izdubar and this 
animal. This contest is related on the mutilated 
fragments of the fourth column, and then on the fifth 
column and eighth line the legend is again perfect 
and reads:— 

Column Y. 

8. And Ishtar ascended unto the wall of Erech 
Suburi, 

9. destroyed the covering and uttered a curse: 

10. “ I curse Izdubar who dwells here, and the 
winged bull has slain.” 

11. Heabani heard the speech of Ishtar, 

12. and he cut off the member of the winged bull 
and before her threw it; 

13. u I answer it, I will take thee and as in this 

14. I have heard thee, 

15. the curse I will turn against thy side.” 

16. Ishtar gathered her maidens 

17. Samhati and Harimati, 

18. and over the member of the winged bull a 
mourning she made. 

19. Izdubar called on the people. 

20. all of them, 

21. and the weight of his horns the young men 
took, 



V. 





A_«* A j 9 
















































































































































FLOOD SERIFS OF LEGENDS. 


175 


22. 30 manas of zamat stone within them, 

23. the sharpness of the points was destroyed, 

24. 6 gurs its mass together. 

25. To the ark of his god Sarturda he dedicated it; 

26. he took it in and worshipped at his fire; 

27. in the river Euphrates they washed their hands, 

28. and they took and went 

29. round the city of Erech riding, 

30. and the assembly of the chiefs of Erech marked 

31. Izdubar to the inhabitants of Erech 

32. ... a proclamation made. 

Column VI. 

1. u Anyone of ability among the chiefs, 

2. Anyone noble among men, 

3. Izdubar is able among the chiefs, 

4. Izdubar is noble among men, 


5 .placed hearing 

6 .vicinity, not of the inhabitants 

7 .him.” 


8. Izdubar in his palace made a rejoicing, 

9. the chiefs reclining on couches at night, 

10. Heabani lay down, slept, and a dream he 
dreamed. 

11. Heabani spake and the dream he explained, 

12. and said to Izdubar. 

This is the close of the sixth tablet, and the seventh 
one opened with the dream of Heabani. Of the 






176 


TEE IZDEBAB OB 


seventh tablet I have only recovered the first line 
which opens the speech of Heabani,— 

u Seer why do the great gods take council?” 

I am doubtful also if I have found any portion of 
the eighth tablet; but I have provisionally placed in 
it a fragment which I discovered in Sennacherib’s 
palace at Kouyunjik, this fragment has, however, re¬ 
lations with the story of Humbaba. 

The general tenor of the fragments enables me to 
say two things were related in the eighth tablet; one 
was the illness of Izdubar, which is related on the 
fragment here given, and the other was the death of 
Heabani, over whom Izdubar mourns bitterly. 

The fragment of the illness of Izdubar reads :— 

1. Izdubar in the. 

2. The goddess injurer of men upon him struck, 

3. and in his limbs he died. 

4. He spake, and said to his seer: 

5. u Seer, thou dost not ask me why I am naked; 

6. Thou dost not inquire of me why I am spoiled; 

7. God will not depart; why do my limbs burn. 

8. Seer, I saw a third dream; 

9. And the dream which I saw entirely dis¬ 
appeared. 

10. He invoked the god of the earth and desired 
death. 

11. A thunder cloud came out of the darkness; 

12. The lightning struck and kindled a fire; 

13. and came out the shadoAv of death, 

14. It disappeared the fire sank. 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


177 


15 .struck it and it turned to a palm 

tree. 

16 .and in the desert, thy lord was pro- 


ceeding. ,, 

17. And Heabani the dream considered and said 
to Izdubar. 

After this Heabani was struck down and killed, 
which added to the misfortune of Izdubar. Tambukku 
and Mikke are said to have killed Heabani; but who 
or what they were, the record is too mutilated to 
show, they appear to be the names of some wild 
animal. The ninth tablet commences the lamentation 
of Izdubar over his misfortunes, and his determina¬ 
tion to go and seek Hasisadri or Xisithrus, a sage, 
who, according to the Babylonian traditions, had 
lived before the flood; and after that event had been 
translated, and now dwelt somewhere by the Persian 
Gulf. 

The ninth tablet reads— 

Column I. 

1. Izdubar over Heabani his seer 

2. bitterly lamented, and lay down on the ground. 

3. I had no judgment like Heabani; 

4. Weakness entered into my soul; 

5. death I feared, and lay down on the ground. 

6. For the advice of Hasisadra, son of Ubaratutu 

7. The road I was taking, and joyfully I went 

8. to the neighbourhood of the mountains I took 
at night. 

N 




178 


THE IZHUBAB OB 


9. a dream I saw, and I feared. 

10. I bowed on my face, and to Sin (tbe moon god) 
I prayed; 

11. and into the presence of the gods came my 
supplication; 

12. and they sent peace unto me. 


13 .dream. 

14 .Sin, erred in life. 

15 .to his hand. 


The dream and message of the gods are lost, and 
there are no other fragments of the first column. 
The second commences with Izdubar in some fabulous 
region, whither he has wandered in search of Hasis- 
adra. Here he sees some giants with their feet 
resting in hell, and their heads reaching heaven. 
These beings are supposed to guide and direct the 
sun at its rising and setting. This passage is as 
follows:— 

Column II. 

1. Of the country hearing him. 

2. To the mountains of Mas in his course. 

3. who each day guard the rising sun. 

4. Their crown was at the lattice of heaven, 

5. under hell their feet were placed. 

6. The first man guarded the gate, 

7. burning with terribleness, their appearance was 
like death, 

8. the might of his fear shook the forests. 

9. At the rising of the sun and the setting of the 
sun, they guarded the sun. 







FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 179 

10. Izdubar saw them, and fear and terror came 
into his face. 

11. Summoning his resolution, he approached be¬ 
fore them. 

12. The first man of the third asked: 

13. u Who comes to us with the limbs of a god on 
his body?” 

14. To the first man, the third answered: 

15. u His shape is divine, his work is human.” 

16. The first man of the hero asked: 


17 .of the gods the words he said 

18 .distant road 

19 .to my presence 

20 .crossing them is difficult. 


These giants then discourse of the journey of 
Izdubar. And where the story is again legible, on 
the third column of the tablet, one of them is advising 
that Izdubar should go to Hasisadra, whom he calls 
his father; and he relates that he is immortal (esta~ 
blished in the company of the gods), and has the know¬ 
ledge of death and life. 

Column III. 

3. to Hasisadra, my father. 

4. who is established in the company of the gods 

5. death and life. 

6. The first man his mouth opened and spake, 

7. and said to. 

8. u Is it not Izdubar. 

9. who to the country anyone comes. 










180 


THE IZDUB A B OB 


On the fourth column Izdubar prays to these 
giants; and the first one directs him the way to seek 
after Hasisadra. On the fifth column, this journey 
is related ; the whole of it is much mutilated, and 
only some fragments can be made out. The stages 
are related in Kaspu , or lengths of from six to seven 
miles. The road is said to be shrouded in darkness, 
and there is no light along it. A fresh adventure is 
met with at every stage. In the ninth stage, there 
is a change, and he comes to splendid trees covered 
with jewels; and at the close of the journey (recorded 
on the sixth column) he arrives near the sea, at a 
place where there is a gate, and inside it a man named 
Siduri, and a woman named Sabitu. The tenth tablet 
commences with the transactions between Izdubar 
and Sabitu. Izdubar desires to pass through the 
gate, and Sabitu shuts it in his face. He then 
threatens to break it. 


Column I. 

9. To go on the distant path his face was set. 

10. Sabitu afar off pondered, 

11. spake within her heart, and a resolution made. 

12. Within herself also she considered: 

13. “What is this message 

14. There is no one upright in ... . 

15. And Sabitu saw him and shut her place? 

16. her gate she shut and shut her place ? 

17. And he, Izdubar, having ears heard her. 

18. he struck his hands and made .... 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


181 


19. Izdubar after this manner also said to Sabitu: 

20. “ Sabitu why dost thou shut thy place? 

21. thy gate thou closest .... 

22. I will strike the .... 

In the rest of this column, which is lost, there is 
an account of the meeting of Izdubar and a boatman 
named Urhamsi. Urhamsi undertakes to navigate 
Izdubar to the region where Hasisadri dwells, and on 
the second column commences a discourse between 
Izdubar and Urhamsi. They then procure a ship and 
start for this region, they go along for fifteen days, and 
Urhamsi tells Izdubar about the waters of death, which 
he says will not cleanse his hands. This is related 
on the fourth column. 

Column IV. 

1. Urhamsi after this manner also said to Izdubar: 

2. “The tablets Izdubar .... 

3. the waters of death will not cleanse thy hands 

4. the second time, the third time, and the fourth 
time, Izdubar carried his breaches 

5. the fifth, sixth, and seventh time, Izdubar carried 
his breaches. 

6. the eighth, ninth, and tenth time, Izdubar carried 
his breaches 

7. the eleventh, and twelfth time, Izdubar carried 
his breaches. 

8. the twelfth time Izdubar ended his breaches 

9. And he freed his body? to ... . 



182 


TEE IZDUBAB OB 


10. Izdubar did violence .... 

11. in his head affliction was ended ? 

12. Hasisadra afar off pondered. 

13. spake within his heart and a resolution made. 

14. Within himself also he considered : 

15. “Why to the shore does this ship not arrive ? 

16. is not ended the voyage .... 

17. the man is not come to me and ... . 

18. I wonder he is not .... 

19. I wonder he is not .... 

20. I wonder .... 

These passages are mutilated, and it does not appear 
if the breaches of Izdubar were his sins or his illness^ 
but it seems that his cure had now begun. We find 
from the passage in lines 12 to 20 that Hasisadra was 
expecting Izdubar and wondering why he had not 
arrived. 

The next column introduces Izdubar talking to a 
female named Mua, and he tells Mua his feelings 
respecting Heabani and the history of their con¬ 
nection. The whole of this is too mutilated to 
translate with any certainty, but I give a conjectural 
translation to show the general meaning. 

Column V. 

1. Izdubar opened his mouth, and after this manner 
also said to Mua 

2 .my presence 

3 .did not rule 

1.before me 





FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


183 


5 .lay down in the desert 

6 .leopard in the desert 

7. Heabani.the same 


8. a second there was not in the country. 

9. We captured.Ninaru 

10. we conquered Humbaba who in the forests of 
pine trees dwelt. 

11. And again when.we slew the lions, 

12. in the wilderness.became sick. 

13. And he.was killed by the same, 

14. he covered and.over him I mourn 

15. like a lion.placed him in a tomb. 

There are four other lines, and then comes the 

answer of Mua. 

On the sixth column is related the meeting between 
Izdubar and Hasisadra. Izdubar has asked a question 
of Hasisadra, and the sage is answering him, where 
the legend becomes again clear. 

Column VI. 

1. I was angry. 

2. Whenever a house was built, whenever a treasure 
was collected. 

3. Whenever brothers fixed. 

4. Whenever hatred is in. 

5. Whenever the river makes a great flood. 

6. Whenever reviling within the mouth .... 

7. the face that bowed before Shamas 

8. from of old was not. 

9. Spoiling and death together exist 















184 


THE IZDUBAB OB 


10. of death the image has not been seen. 

11. The man or servant on approaching death, 

12. the spirit of the great gods takes his hand. 

13. The goddess Mamitu maker of fate, to them 
their fate brings, 

14. She has fixed death and life; 

15. of death the day is not known.” 

Izdubar appears to have been unsatisfied with the 
answer of Hasisadra, dealing as it did with the general 
question of life and death, and he desired to know how 
Hasisadra became immortal, he probably desiring a 
similar honour for himself. This introduces us to the 
eleventh tablet of the series, the most perfect and by 
far the most important of these legends. Thejiablet, 
of which I give a^comj>lete translation, opens with the 
second speech of Izdubar. 

Column I. 

1. Izdubar after this manner also said to Hasisadra 
afar off: 

2. u I consider the matter, 

3. why thou repeatest not to me from thee, 

4. and thou repeatest not to me from thee, 

5. thy ceasing my heart to make war 

6. presses? of the, I come up after thee, 

7. . . . how thou hast done, and in the assembly 
of the gods alive thou art placed.” 


8. Hasisadra after this manner also said to Izdubar : 

9. u Be revealed to thee Izdubar the concealed story, 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


185 


10. and the judgment of the gods be related to 
thee, 

11. The city Surippak the city where thou standest 
not .... placed, 

12. that city is ancient .... the gods within it 

13 .their servant, the great gods 

14 .the god Anu, 

15 .the god Bel, 

16 .the god Ninip, 


17. and the god.lord of Hades; 

18. their will he revealed in the midst .... and 

19. I his will was hearing and he spake to me: 

20. u Surippakite son of Ubaratutu 


21 .make a ship after this. 

22 .I destroy? the sinner and life .... 

23. . . . cause to go in? the seed of life all of it 


to the midst of the ship. 

24. The ship which thou shalt make, 

25. 600? cubits shall be the measure of its length, 
and 

26. 60? cubits the amount of its breadth and its 
height. 

27. . . . into the deep launch it.” 

28. I perceived and said to Hea my lord: 

29. “ The ship making which thou commandest me, 

30. when I shall have made, 

31. young and old will deride me.” 

32. Hea opened his mouth and spake and said to 
me his servant: 

33. 


thou shalt say unto them, 











186 


TEE IZDEBAR OB 


34 .he has turned from me and 

35 .fixed over me 

36 .like caves. 

37 .above and below 

38 .closed the ship .... 


39 .the flood which I will send to you, 

40. into it enter and the door of the ship turn. 

41. Into the midst of it thy grain, thy furniture, 
and thy goods, 

42. thy wealth, thy woman servants, thy female 
slaves, and the young men, 

43 . the beasts of the field, the animals of the field 
all, I will gather and 

44 . I will send to thee, and they shall be enclosed 
in thy door.” 


45. Adrahasis his mouth opened and spake, and 

46. said to Hea his lord: 

47. “ Anyone the ship will not make .... 

48. on the earth fixed. 


49 .I may see also the ship . . . . 

50 .on the ground the ship .... 


51. the ship making which thou commandest me ... 

52. which in. 


Column II. 

1 . strong. 

2 . on the fifth day.it 

3. in its circuit 14 measures ... its frame. 

4. 14 measures it measured . . . over it. 
















FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 187 

5 . I placed its roof, it .... I enclosed it. 

6 . I rode in it on the sixth time; I examined its 
exterior on the seventh time; 

7 . its interior I examined on the eighth time. 

8 . Planks against the waters within it I placed. 

9. I saw rents and the wanting parts I added. 

10 . 3 measures of bitumen I poured over the out¬ 
side. 

11 . 3 measures of bitumen I poured over the inside. 

12 . 3 . . . men carrying its baskets, they con¬ 
structed boxes 

13. I placed in the boxes the offering they sacri¬ 
ficed. 

14. Two measures of boxes I had distributed to the 


boatmen. 

15. To.were sacrificed oxen 

16 .dust and 

17 .wine in receptacle of goats 


18. I collected like the waters of a river, also 

19. food like the dust of the earth also 

20 . I collected in boxes with my hand I placed. 


21 .Shamas .... material of the ship com¬ 

pleted. 

22 .strong and 

23. the reed oars of the ship I caused to bring 
above and below. 

24.they went in two-thirds of it. 


25. All I possessed the strength of it, all I possessed 
the strength of it silver, 









188 


TEE IZD TIB AB OB 


26. all I possessed the strength of it gold, 

27. all I possessed the strength of it the seed of 
life, the whole 

28. I caused to go up into the ship; all my male 
servants and my female servants, 

29. the beast of the field, the animal of the field, 
the sons of the people all of them, I caused to go up. 

30. A flood Shamas made and 

31. he spake saying in the night: u I will cause it 
to rain heavily, 

32. enter to the midst of the ship and shut thy 
door.” 

33. A flood he raised and 

34 . he spake saying in the night: u I will cause it 
to rain (or it will rain) from heaven heavily.” 

.35. In the day I celebrated his festival 

36. the day of his appointment? fear I had. 

37. I entered to the midst of the ship and shut my 
door. 

38. To close the ship to Buzur-sadirabi the boat¬ 
man 

39. the palace I gave with its goods. 

40. The raging of a storm in the morning 

41. arose, from the horizon of heaven extending 
and wide. 

42. Vul in the midst of it thundered, and 

43. Nebo and Saru went in front, 

44. the throne bearers went over mountains and 
plains, 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


189 


45. the destroyer Nergal overturned, 

46. Ninip went in front and cast down, 

47 . the spirits carried destruction, 

48. in their glory they swept the earth; 

49 . of Yul the flood reached to heaven. 

50. The bright earth to a waste was turned, 

Column III. 

1 . the surface of the earth like.it swept, 

2 . it destroyed all life from the face of the earth . . . 

8 . the strong deluge over the people, reached to 

heaven. 

4. Brother saw not his brother, it did not spare the 
people. In heaven 

5 . the gods feared the tempest and 

6 . sought refuge ; they ascended to the heaven of 
Anu. 

7 . The gods like dogs fixed in droves prostrate. 

8 . Spake Ishtar like a child, 

9 . uttered the great goddess her speech: 

10. u All to corruption are turned and 

11 . then I in the presence of the gods prophesied 
evil. 

12. As I prophesied in the presence of the gods evil, 

13. to evil were devoted all my people and I pro¬ 
phesied 

14. thus: u I have begotten my people and 

15. like the young of the fishes they fill the sea.” 

16. The gods concerning the spirits were weeping 
with her, 



190 


TEE IZDUBAB OB 


17. the gods in seats seated in lamentation, 

18. covered were their lips for the coming evil. 

19. Six days and nights 

20. passed, the wind, deluge, and storm, over¬ 
whelmed. 

21. On the seventh day in its course was calmed 
the storm, and all the deluge 

22. which had destroyed like an earthquake, 

23. quieted. The sea he caused to dry, and the 
wind and deluge ended. 

24. I perceived the sea making a tossing; 

25. and the whole of mankind turned to corruption, 

26. like reeds the corpses floated. 

27. I opened the window, and the light broke over 
my face, 

28. it passed. I sat down and wept, 

29. over my face flowed my tears. 

30. I perceived the shore at the boundary of the sea, 

31. for twelve measures the land rose. 

32. To the country of Nizir went the ship; 

33. the mountain of Nizir stopped the ship, and to 
pass over it it was not able. 

34. The first day, and the second day, the moun¬ 
tain of Nizir the same. 

35. The third day, and the fourth day, the moun¬ 
tain of Nizir the same. 

36. The fifth, and sixth, the mountain of Nizir the 
same. 

37. On the seventh day in the course of it 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS . 


191 


38. I sent forth a dove and it left. The dove went 
and turned, and 

39. a resting-place it did not find, and it returned. 

40. I sent forth a swallow and it left. The swallow 
went and turned, and 

41. a resting-place it did not find, and it returned. 

42. I sent forth a raven and it left. 

43. The raven went, and the corpses on the water 
it saw, and 

44. it did eat, it swam, and wandered away, and did 
not return. 

45. I sent the animals forth to the four winds, I 
poured out a libation, 

46. I built an altar on the peak of the moun¬ 
tain, 

47. by sevens herbs I cut, 

48. at the bottom of them I placed reeds, pines, and 
simgar. 

49. The gods collected at its burning, the gods 
collected at its good burning; 

50. the gods like flies over the sacrifice gathered. 

51. From of old also the great god in his course 

52. The great brightness of Anu had created. 
When the glory 

53. of those gods the charm round my neck would 
not repel; 

Column IV. 

1. in those days I prayed for I could never repel 
them. 

2. May the gods come to my altar, 


192 


THE I ZD TIB AB OB 


3. may Bel not come to my altar, 

4. for he did not consider and had made a deluge, 

5. and my people he had consigned to the deep. 

6. From of old also Bel in his course 

7. saw the ship, and went Bel with anger filled to 
the gods and spirits: 

8. “ Let not anyone come out alive, let not a man 
be saved from the deep” 

9. Ninip his mouth opened, and spake and said to 
the warrior Bel: 

10. “Who then will be saved ? ” Hea the words 
understood 

11. and Hea knew all things. 

12. Hea his mouth opened and spake, and said to 
the warrior Bel: 

13. “ Thou prince of the gods warrior, 

14. when thou art angry a deluge thou makest; 

15. the doer of sin did his sin, the doer of evil did 
Tiis evil. 

16. May the exalted not be broken, may the captive 
not be delivered. 

17. Instead of thee making a deluge, may lions in¬ 
crease and men be reduced; 

18. instead of thee making a deluge, may leopards 
increase and men be reduced; 

19. instead of thee making a deluge, may a famine 
happen and the country be destroyed; 

20. instead of thee making a deluge, may pestilence 
increase and men be destroyed. 

21. I did not peer into the judgment of the gods. 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


193 


22. Adrahasis a dream they sent, and the judgment 
of the gods he heard. 

23. When his judgment was accomplished, Bel went 
up to the midst of the ship. 

24. He took my hand and raised me up, 

25. he caused to raise and to bring my wife to my 
side; 

26. he purified the country, he established in a 
covenant and took the people, 

27. in the presence of Hasisadra and the people. 

28. When Hasisadra, and his wife, and the people, 
to be like the gods were carried away; 

29. then dwelt Hasisadra in a remote place at the 
mouth of the rivers. 

30. They took me and in a remote place at the 
mouth of the rivers they seated me. 

31. When to thee whom the gods have chosen also, 

32. for the health which thou seekest and askest, 

33. this do six days and seven nights, 

34. like in a seat also in bonds bind him, 

35. the way like a storm shall be laid upon him.” 

36. Hasisadra after this manner also said to his wife 

37. u I announce that the chief who grasps at health 

38. the way like a storm shall be laid upon him.” 

39. His wife after this manner also said to Hasis¬ 
adra afar off. 

40. u Purify him, and let the man be sent away; 

41. the road that he came may he return in peace, 

42. the great gate open and may he return to his 
country.” 


o 


194 


TEE IZETJBAR OR 


43. Hasisadra after this manner also said to his wife : 

44. “ The cry of a man alarms thee, 

45. this do his kurummat place on his head.” 

46. And the day when he ascended the side of the 
ship, 

47. she did, his Jcurummat she placed on his head. 

48. And the day when he ascended the side of the 
ship, 

49. first the sabusat of his Jcurummat , 

50. second the mussuJcat , third the radbat , fourth 
she opened his zikaman, 

51. fifth the cloak she placed, sixth the bassat , 

Column V. 

1. seventh in the opening she purified him and let 
the man go free. 

2. Izdubar after this manner also said to Hasisadra 
afar off: 

3. “In this way thou wast compassionate over me, 

4. joyfully thou hast made me, and thou hast 
restored me.” 

5. Hasisadra after this manner also said to Izdu¬ 


bar. 

6 .thy Jcurummit , 

7 .separated thee, 

8. . ..thy Jcurummat , 


9. second the mussuJcat , third the radbat , 

10. fourth she opened the zikaman, 

11. fifth the cloak she placed, sixth the bassat , 






FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


195 


12. seventh in the opening I purified thee and let 
thee go free.” 

13. Izdubar after this manner also said to Hasisadra 
afar off: 

14 .Hasisadra to thee may we not 

come, 

15 .collected 

16 .dwelling in death, 

17 .his back? dies also.” 


18. Hasisadra after this manner also said to Ur- 
hamsi the boatman: 

19. “ Urhamsi.[to thee we cross to pre¬ 

serve thee. 

20. Who is beside the.of support; 

21. the man whom thou comest before, disease has 
filled his body; 

22. illness has destroyed the strength of his limbs. 

23. carry him Urhamsi, to cleanse take him, 

24. his disease in the water to beauty may it turn, 

25. may he cast off his illness, and the sea carry 
it away, may health cover his skin, 

26. may it restore the hair of his head, 

27. hanging to cover the cloak of his body. 

28. That he may go to his country, that he may 
take his road, 

29. the hanging cloak may he not cast off, but alone 
may he leave.” 

30. Urhamsi carried him, to cleanse he took him, 

31. his disease in the water to beauty turned, 








196 


TEE IZDUBAB OB 


32. he east off his illness, and the sea carried it 
away, and health covered his skin, 

33. he restored the hair of his head, hanging down 
to cover the cloak of his body. 

34. That he might go to his country, that he might 
take his road, 

35. the hanging cloak he did not cast off, but alone 
he left. 

36. Izdubar and Urhamsi rode in the ship, 

37. where they placed them they rode. 

38. His wife after this manner also said to Hasis- 
adra afar off: 

39. “Izdubar goes away, he is satisfied, he per¬ 
forms 

40. that which thou hast given him, and returns to 
his country.” 

41. And he carried away the breaches of Izdubar, 

42. and the ship touched the shore. 

43. Hasisadra after this manner also said to Iz¬ 
dubar : 

44. “ Izdubar thou goest away, thou art satisfied, 
thou performest 

45. that which I have given thee, and thou re- 
turnest to thy country. 

46. Be revealed to thee Izdubar the concealed 
story; 

47. and the judgment of the gods be related to 
thee.” 

48. This account like bitumen .... 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 197 

49. its renown like the sight of ... . 

50. when the account a hand shall take .... 

51. Izdubar, this in his hearing heard, and . . . . 

52. he collected great stones .... 

Column YI. 

1. they dragged it and to ... . 

2. he carried the account .... 

3. piled up the great stones .... 

4. to his mule .... 


5. Izdubar after this manner also said 

6. toUrhamsi: “ this account .... 

7. If a man in his heart take .... 

8. may they bring him to Erech Suburi 

9.speech .... 

10. I will give an account and turn to . . . 

11. For 10 kaspu (70 miles) they journeyed the 
stage, for 20 kaspu (140 miles) they journeyed the 
stage 

12. and Izdubar saw the well .... 

13. For 13 kaspu (91 miles) to the midst of Erech 
Suburi. 

14. noble of men. 

15. in his return. 

16. Izdubar approached. 

17. and over his face coursed his tears, and he said 
to Urhamsi: 

18. “ At my misfortune in my turning, 

19. at my misfortune is my heart troubled. 




198 


TEE IZDUJBAB OB 


20. I have not done good to my own self; 

21. and the lion of the earth does good. 

22. Then for 20 kaspu (140 miles). 

23.then I opened.the instrument 

24. raised not its wall for .... I appointed” 

25. And they left the ship by the shore, 20 kaspu 
(140 miles) they journeyed the stage. 

26. For 30 kaspu (210 miles) they made the ascent, 
they came to the midst of Erech Suburi. 

27. Izdubar after this manner also said to Urhamsi 
the boatman: 

28. u Ascend Urhamsi over where the wall of 
Erech will go; 

29. the cylinders are scattered, the bricks of its 
casing are not made, 

30. and its foundation is not laid to thy height; 

31. 1 measure the circuit of the city, 1 measure 
of plantations, 1 measure the boundary of the temple 
of Nantur the house of Ishtar, 

32. 3 measures together the divisions of Erech . . 

Comment on this remarkable story I must reserve 
for the close of the legends at the end of the twelfth 
tablet. The twelfth tablet opens with the words 
“ Tamabukku in the house of the .... was left.” 
There are then several lines entirely lost, and the 
narrative recommences halfway down the first column 
with the lamentation of Izdubar over his dead com¬ 
panion, HeabanL 







FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


199 


Column I. 

1. Izdubar. 

2. u Where to. 

3. to happiness thou. 

4. a seat . 

5. like a dispersion. 

6. The noble banquet thou dost not share, 

7. to the assembly they do not call thee; 

8. The bow from the ground thou dost not lift, 

9. what the bow should strike surrounds thee; 

10. The mace in thy hand thou dost not grasp, 

11. the spoil defies thee; 

12. Shoes on thy feet thou dost not wear, 

13. the slain on the ground thou dost not stretch. 

14. Thy wife whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss, 

15. thy wife whom thou hatest thou dost not strike; 

16. Thy child whom thou lovest thou dost not kiss, 

17. thy child whom thou hatest thou dost not strike; 

18. The arms of the earth have taken thee. 

19. 0 darkness, 0 darkness, mother Ninazu, 0 
darkness. 

20. Her noble stature as his mantle covers him 

21. her feet like a deep well enclose him.” 

There is a beautiful poetical feeling about this 

the earliest lamentation that has come down to us. 

The story here again breaks off and where it again 
becomes legible on column ii. Izdubar is continuing 
his lamentation. 






200 


TEE IZDUBAB OB 


Column II. 

1. u Thy wife whom thou hatest was struck; 

2. Thy child whom thou lovest was kissed, 

3. thy child whom thou hatest was struck; 

4. The arms of the earth have taken thee. 

5. 0 darkness, 0 darkness, mother Ninazu, 0 dark¬ 
ness 

6. Her noble stature as his mantle covers him, 

7. her feet like a deep well enclose him.” 

8. Then Heabani from the earth. 

9. Simtar did not take him, Asakku did not take 
him, the earth took him. 

10. The resting place of Nergal the unconquered 
did not take him, the earth took him. 

11. In the place of the battle of heroes they did not 
strike him, the earth took him. 

12. Then . . . . ni son of Ninsun for his servant 
Heabani wept; 

13. to the house of Bel alone he went. 

14. “ Father Bel, Tambukku to the earth has struck 
me, 

15. Mikke to the earth has struck me, 

Column III. 

1. Heabani who to fly. 

2. Simtar did not take him. 

3. the resting place of Nergal the unconquered did 
not take him . . . 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


201 


4. In the place of the battle of heroes they did 

not. 

5. Father Bel the matter do not despise .... 

6. Father Sin, Tambukku. 

7. Mikke. 

8. Heabani who to fly. 

9. Simtar did not take him ..... 

10. the resting-place of Nergal ; . . . . 

This mutilated passage points to the idea that 
Heabani, who was killed, in vain tried to enter heaven. 
Simtar was the attendant of the god of Hades, and 
the other personages in this part of the story all have 
their appropriate offices. The spirit of Heabani does 
not rest under the earth, and attempts are made by 
petitioning Bel and Sin, to induce these gods to trans¬ 
fer him to heaven; but all is in vain. 

After this in a small fragment of column iii. there 
is allusion to Zaidu and the female Samhat, who were 
mentioned in an earlier part of the story; and then 
when the legend reopens in column iii. application is 
made to the god Hea to bring Heabani up to heaven. 
The legend proceeds:— 

1. Simtaru. 

2. the resting-place of Nergal the unconquered . . 

3. In the place of the battle of heroes they did 
not .... 

4. Father Hea. 

5. To the noble warrior, Merodach. 

6. u Noble warrior, Merodach .... 

7. the divider. 











202 


THE IZDUBAB OB 


8. the ghost. 

9. To his father. 

10. the noble warrior Merodach, son of Hea 

11. the divider the earth opened, and 

12. the ghost of Heabani like a prisoner from the 
earth arose 

13.and thou explainest? 

14. he pondered and repeated this. 

Column IV. 

1. Terrible seer, terrible seer, 

2. may the earth cover what thou hast seen, terrible; 

3. I will not tell, seer; I will not tell. 

4. When the earth covers what I have seen, I will 
tell thee. 


5 .thou sittest weeping, 

6 .may you sit, may you weep, 

7 .grow fat and thy heart rejoice. 


In this obscure passage the ghost of Heabani 
appears to address the dead body of the seer. 
Further on, where the story is again legible, it reads— 

1. “.return me 

2. from Hades the land of my knowledge; 

3. From the house of the departed, the seat of the 
god Irkalla; 

4. From the house within which is no exit; 

5. From the road, the course of which never 
returns; 

6. From the place within which they long for 
light; 









FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


203 


7. The place where dust is their nourishment and 
their food mud. 

8. Its chiefs also like birds are clothed with wings; 

9. Light is never seen, in darkness they dwell. 

10. To the place of seers which I will enter 


11 .treasured up a crown; 

12 .wearing crowns, who from days of old 


ruled the earth. 

13. To whom the gods Anu and Bel have given re¬ 
nowned names. 

14. A place where water is abundant, drawn from 
perennial springs. 

15. To the place of seers which I will enter, 

16. the place of chiefs and unconquered ones, 

17. the place of bards and great men, 

18. the place of interpreters of the wisdom of the 
great gods, 

19. the place of the mighty, the dwelling of the 
god Ner.” 

The contrast here between the description of Hades 
or hell, and heaven, is striking and remarkable; and 
the whole passage shows the belief of the early 
Babylonians in an after life, and two states, one of 
sorrow and the other of bliss. From this point the 
legend is almost entirely lost, until the sixth column, 
which closes the series. The spirit or ghost of 
Heabani is still speaking here, relating his experience. 

Colton VI. 

1. On a couch reclining and 




-204 


THE IZ DUB A B OB 


2. pure water drinking. 

3. He who in battle is slain, thou seest and I see; 

4. His father and his mother carry his head, 

5. and his wife over him weeps; 

6. His friends on the ground are standing, 

7. thou seest and I see. 

8. His spoil on the ground is uncovered, 

9. of the spoil account is not taken, 

10. thou seest and I see. 

11. The captives conquered come after; the food 

12. which in the tents is placed is eaten. 


13. The twelfth tablet of the legends of Izdubar. 

14. Written like the ancient copy. 

Thus, with a description of the burial of a warrior, 
ends these remarkable legends. 

With respect to the age of these curious texts, they 
profess to belong to the era of Izdubar, and I am of 
opinion that they cannot have been composed long 
after his time. It is probable that the empire which 
he founded in the Euphrates valley fell to pieces at 
his death, and that this series of tablets was written in 
memory of his reign, during the period of confusion 
which followed. At any rate the allusions to this 
history during the early Babylonian period, prove 
that it already existed at that time. Izdubar, the 
hero of these legends, as I have already said, pro¬ 
bably corresponds with the Biblical Nimrod. He 
is represented as a giant or mighty man, who, 
in the early days after the flood, destroyed wild 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


205 


animals, and conquered a number of petty kings, 
uniting their dominions into one monarchy, which 
stretched from the Persian Gulf on the south, to the 
land of Bitani or Bachtan, near Armenia, on the 
north. He is a representative of the beginning of 
empire, and a type of the great conquerors who suc¬ 
ceeded him. Izdubar has a court, a seer or astrologer, 
and officers, like later sovereigns; and these tablets 
are of the utmost value, as showing the manners and 
customs and religious beliefs of his time. It appears 
that at that remote age the Babylonians had a 
tradition of a flood which was a divine punishment 
for the wickedness of the world; and of a holy man,, 
who built an ark, and escaped the destruction; who 
was afterwards translated, and dwelt with the gods. 
They believed in hell, a place of torment under the 
earth, and heaven, a place of glory in the sky; and 
their description of the two has in several points a 
striking likeness to those in the Bible. They believed 
in a spirit or soul distinct from the body, which was 
not destroyed on the death of the mortal frame; and 
they represent this ghost as rising from the earth at 
the bidding of one of the gods, and winging its way 
to heaven. 

This history of Izdubar appears to have formed a 
national poem to the Babylonians, similar in some 
respects to those of Homer among the Greeks. 
Izdubar himself was afterwards esteemed a deity, 
and at Nineveh I found part of a tablet with a prayer 
addressed to him. 


206 


THE IZDHBAB OB 


The centre of the story of Izdubar is the city of 
Erech, now represented by the ruins of W arka, on 
the eastern bank of the Euphrates, between longi¬ 
tude 45° and 46° and latitude 31° and 32°. Here are 
•extensive ruins of the ancient capital of Izdubar, 
surrounded by a wall nearly six miles in length. 
All round the city are vast burial-places, of such 
extent that they have led to the conjecture that the 
city was a holy place, like Kerbela and Nedjef in the 
present day. 1 Erech is one of the cities mentioned 
as the capitals of Nimrod in Genesis x. 10. In early 
times, according to an inscription which I recently 
discovered at Nineveh, it was called Unuk or Anak, 
the giant city, perhaps from its connection with the 
giant hunter Nimrod. Erech continued a great town 
down to the twenty-third century before the Chris¬ 
tian era, when it was captured by Kudur-nanhundi, 
king of Elam, b.c. 2280, who carried off the famous 
image of Ishtar or Nana, which was in the temple 
there. After this the city passed through the same 
changes as the rest of Babylonia, and at a later period 
formed part of the empire of Assurbanipal. When 
the brother of Assurbanipal revolted against him, 
the city of Erech under its governor, Kudur, re¬ 
mained faithful to him, and Assurbanipal afterwards, 
when he captured Shushan, restored to the temple of 
Erech the image of Nana, which had been in Elam 


1 See Rawlinson’s “Ancient Monarchies,” second edition, 
yoI. i. p. 85. 



FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


207 


1,635 years. From Erech Assurbanipal appears to 
have transported to Assyria the legends of Izdubar, 
and these tablets were copied again in Assyria. 

The principal incident in these legends, and the 
most important one in relation to the Bible, is the 
account of the flood. Izdubar is mourning for his 
seer Heabani, and deploring his inability to replace 
him, when he resolves to seek the advice of Hasisadra 
or Xisithrus, the sage who escaped the flood. The 
journey of Izdubar in search of Xisithrus is curious 
as showing that the Babylonians, although learned 
in some things, had no knowledge at this time of 
geography. They held the idea that at a little dis¬ 
tance from them there were giants who controlled 
the rising and setting sun, and that the orb of day 
was looked after and sent on in its course by these 
beings, who had their feet in the lower regions of 
hell while their heads touched and probably upheld 
the heaven. Izdubar, after journeying through vari¬ 
ous fabulous regions, at last coming in sight of Hasis¬ 
adra and his wife, asks the sage how he became im¬ 
mortal, and Hasisadra, after some general remarks 
about life and death, goes on to tell him the story of 
the deluge. 

Having given a translation of this from the tablet, 
I will notice the account in the Bible and that which 
the Greeks have handed down from Berosus, with the 
view to a comparison with the cuneiform account. 

The Biblical account of the deluge is contained in 
the sixth to the ninth chapters of Genesis; it is fami- 


208 


THE IZDUBAB OB 


liar to all and within reach of all, so I will only give 
the heads of it here. 

According to the book of Genesis, as man multi¬ 
plied on the earth, the whole race turned to evil, 
except the family of Noah. On account of the 
wickedness of man, the Lord determined to destroy 
the world by a flood, and gave command to Noah to 
build an ark, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 
30 cubits high. Into this ark Noah entered accord¬ 
ing to the command of the Lord, taking with him his 
family, and pairs of each animal. After seven days 
the flood commenced, in the 600th year of Noah, the 
seventeenth day of the second month, and after 150 
days the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat, 
on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. We 
are then told that after forty days Noah opened the 
window of the ark and sent forth a raven which did 
not return. He then sent forth a dove, which finding 
no rest for the sole of her foot, returned to him. 
Seven days after he sent forth the dove a second 
time, and she returned to him with an olive leaf in 
her mouth. Again after seven days he sent forth 
the dove, which returned to him no more. The flood 
was dried up in the 601st year, on the first day of 
the first month, and on the twenty-seventh day of 
the second month Noah removed from the ark, and 
afterwards built an altar and offered sacrifices. 

The Chaldean account of the flood, as given by 
Berosus, is taken from “ Cory’s Ancient Fragments,” 
pp. 26-9, as follows:— 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 209 

“ After tlie death of Ardates, his son, Xisuthrus, 
reigned eighteen sari. In his time happened a great 
deluge, the history of which is thus described: The 
deity, Cronos, appeared to him in a vision, and warned 
him that upon the fifteenth day of the month Dsesius, 
there would be a flood, by which mankind would be 
destroyed. He therefore enjoined him to write a 
history of the beginning, procedure, and conclusion 
of all things; and to bury it in the City of the Sun 
at Sippara; and to build a vessel, and take with him 
into it his friends and relations; and to convey on 
board everything necessary to sustain life, together 
with all the different animals, both birds and quad¬ 
rupeds, and trust himself fearlessly to the deep. 
Having asked the Deity whither he was to sail, he 
was answered, ‘To the Gods;’ upon which he offered 
up a prayer for the good of mankind. He then obeyed 
the divine admonition, and built a vessel five stadia 
in length, and two in breadth. Into this he put 
everything which he had prepared; and last of all 
conveyed into it his wife, his children, and his friends. 

“ After the flood had been upon the earth, and 
was in time abated, Xisuthrus sent out birds from 
the vessel, which not finding any food, nor any place 
whereupon they might rest their feet, returned to 
him again. After an interval of some days he sent 
them forth a second time, and they now returned 
with their feet tinged with mud-. He made a trial a 
third time with these birds, but they returned to 
him no more: from whence he judged that the sur- 


p 


210 


THE IZDUBAB OB 


face of the earth had appeared above the waters. He 
therefore made an opening in the vessel, and upon 
looking out found that it was stranded upon the side 
of some mountain, upon which he immediately quitted 
it with his wife, his daughter, and the pilot. Xisu- 
thrus then paid his adoration to the earth, and having 
constructed an altar, offered sacrifices to the gods, 
and, with those who had come out of the vessel with 
him, disappeared. 

“ They who remained within, finding that their 
companions did not return, quitted the vessel with 
many lamentations, and called continually on the 
name of Xisuthrus. Him they saw no more; but 
they could distinguish his voice in the air, and could 
hear him admonish them to pay due regard to reli¬ 
gion; and likewise informed them that it was on 
account of his piety that he was translated to live 
with the gods, that his wife, and daughter, and the 
pilot, had obtained the same honour. To this he 
added that they should return to Babylonia, and as 
it was ordained, search for the writings at Sippara, 
which they were to make known to all mankind; 
moreover, that the place wherein they then were, was 
the land of Armenia. 

“ The rest having heard these words, offered sacri¬ 
fices to the gods, and taking a circuit, journeyed 
towards Babylonia. 

“ The vessel being thus stranded in Armenia, some 
part of it yet remains in the Corcyrsean mountains.” 

In pages 33 and 34 of “ Cory’s Fragments ” there 
is a second version, as follows:— 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


211 


“And then Sisithrus. To him the deity Cronos 
foretold that on the fifteenth day of the month DaBsius 
there would he a deluge of rain: and he commanded 
him to deposit all the writings whatever which were 
in his possession, in the City of the Sun at Sippara. 
Sisithrus, when he had complied with these com¬ 
mands, sailed immediately to Armenia, and was pre¬ 
sently inspired by God. Upon the third day after 
the cessation of the rain Sisithrus sent out birds, by 
way of experiment, that he might judge whether 
the flood had subsided. But the birds passing over 
an unbounded sea, without finding any place of rest, 
returned again to Sisithrus. This he repeated with 
other birds. And when upon the third trial he suc¬ 
ceeded, for the birds then returned with their feet 
stained with mud, the gods translated him from 
among men. With respect to the vessel, which yet 
remains in Armenia, it is a custom of the inhabitants 
to form bracelets and amulets of its wood.” 

These accounts of the flood are translated from the 
Greek historians, who copied them from the works of 
Berosus. 

Berosus was a Chaldean priest who flourished 
in the third century before the Christian era, and 
who translated the records of Babylonia into the 
Greek language. As he was well acquainted with 
the history of his country, it is likely that his account 
would have striking features of resemblance to that 
in the inscriptions, and this is found to be the case. 
The traditions of several other nations give accounts 


212 


TEE IZDUBAB OB 


of the flood, but none of them are so full and precise 
as the Biblical and Chaldean accounts; I have there¬ 
fore omitted them, and confine my comparison to these 
three documents. The Bible, while it gives the account 
of the flood and the saving of Noah and his family, 
says nothing of the country he lived in, or the place 
where he built the ark. Now the cuneiform record 
supplies this information. It appears that after his 
wanderings, Izdubar comes to a city on the Persian 
gulf near the mouth of the Euphrates named Surip- 
pak, and this city Hasisadra tells him was the place 
where he himself had ruled and where he had built 
the ark. It is a curious fact that Surippak is called 
in another inscription “ the ship city,” or “ the city of 
the ark,” in allusion to this tradition, and the supposed 
maker of the flood was worshipped there as the “ God 
of the deluge, Hea,” Hea being god of the sea and the 
principal deity who brought the flood. These local 
names and traditions are a striking confirmation of 
the story of the deluge. It is also remarkable that 
Hammurabi, king of Babylonia, whose date cannot be 
later than the sixteenth century before the Christian 
era, conquered Surippak, and it is called in his inscrip¬ 
tion the “ city of the ark,” showing that the tradition 
was well known at that time, and in one earlier docu¬ 
ment the same name is given to the city. In this city 
before the flood it is related that there lived Ubara- 
tutu, the Otiartes or Ardates of Berosus, and the 
Lamech of the Bible, and after him Adra-hasis or 
Hasis-adra, the Xisithrus of Berosus and the Noah of 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


213 


the Bible, a sage reverent and devout towards the 
gods. According to both the Bible and the cuneiform 
account the world was at this time very wicked, and 
the Deity resolved to destroy it as a punishment for 
its sin. In the Greek account from Berosus it is the 
god Cronos who warns Xisithrus of the coming deluge, 
and in the cuneiform version it is the Babylonian 
deity Hea, showing the identity of Hea with the 
Cronos of the Greeks. In the message of Hea to 
Hasisadra he tells him the size he is to make the ark, 
but the numbers are mutilated ; I conjecturally read 
600 cubits for the length of the vessel and 60 cubits 
for its breadth and height, but no dependence can be 
placed on these characters. The Bible, Genesis vi. 15, 
gives the length 300 cubits, the breadth 50 cubits, and 
the height 30 cubits. The account from Berosus gives 
five stadia in length and two in breadth. The inscrip¬ 
tion agreespvith the Bible in giving the dimensions in 
cubits, but agrees with Berosus in giving two dimen¬ 
sions instead of three as in Genesis. The answer of 
Hasisadra to the Deity shows reluctance to build the 
vessel, which he fears will only bring him derision 
from old and young, and which he thinks is too great 
an undertaking. The Deity further encouraging him, 
he builds the vessel. The cuneiform tablet describes 
the building of the vessel, the details of which are not 
given in either the Bible or Berosus. 

The vessel being prepared, details are given of the 
storing of the ship with food, and placing in it the 
treasures and animals : these matters are only slightly 


214 


TEE IZDUBAR OR 


paralleled by the Biblical and Greek accounts. There 
is here a striking difference between the inscription 
and the Bible with regard to the nature of the ark; 
the inscription making the ark a regular ship, which 
is guided and navigated by boatmen, and it is launched 
into the sea, all the details of the story agreeing with 
the view that this is the tradition of a seafaring 
people, or at least of a people lying in the lowlands 
near the mouth of a great river such as the Euphrates. 
Floods here are frequent, and the people are familiar 
with these catastrophes, and the record describes the 
deluge with a precision and power in accordance with 
this position and the traditions of the country. The 
Biblical account on the other hand is apparently the 
account of an inland people, unacquainted with navi¬ 
gation ; the ark is called a ran, a chest or box, and 
not a ship, no guiding or navigation is mentioned, and 
there is no allusion to seamen. 

In one point in the preparation already mentioned, 
there is an agreement between the Bible and the 
inscription; both represent that the ark was coated 
over inside and outside with bitumen. The Biblical 
account states that only Noah, his three sons, Shem, 
Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, eight persons in 
all, were saved in the vessel. On the other hand 
the cuneiform inscription represents Hasisadra as 
taking into the ark with himself, his wife, his ser¬ 
vants, his young men or “ sons of the people,” and 
boatmen or seamen, in this agreeing with Berosus, who 
states that many were saved in the ark. 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


215 


In the description of the coming of the deluge, 
there is a difference between the Bible and the inscrip¬ 
tion from the fact that the Bible gives the flood as 
the work of one God, while the cuneiform inscription 
states that a number of divinities were engaged in it. 
The description of the deluge itself is much fuller 
in the inscription than in the Bible or in the Greek 
text of Berosus, and the description is very vivid. 
As in the Bible, the text partly attributes the deluge 
to heavy rain. With respect to the duration of the 
flood, there appears to be a remarkable difference 
between the Bible and the inscription. In the Bible 
we read, Genesis vii. 11, 12 : “ In the six hundredth 
year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seven¬ 
teenth day of the month, the same day were all the 
fountains of the great deep broken up, and the win¬ 
dows of heaven were opened. And the rain was 
upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” And 
again in the 17th verse: “And the flood was forty 
days upon the earth.” And in the 24th verse: 
u And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred 
and fifty days.” Again in the eighth chapter and 3rd, 
4th, and 5th verses: “ And the waters returned from 
off the earth continually, and after the end of the 
hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And 
the ark rested in the seventh month on the seven¬ 
teenth day of the month upon the mountains of 
Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until 
the tenth month: in the tenth month on the first day 
of the month were the tops of the mountains seen.” 


216 


TEE IZ DUB AB OB 


And the 13th and 14th verses : u And it came to pass 
in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, 
the first day of the month, the waters were dried up 
from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering 
of the ark, and looked and behold the face of the 
ground was dry* And in the second month, on the 
seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth 
dry.” Thus the dates are here given with great pre¬ 
cision and clearness, and state that the deluge alto¬ 
gether lasted for one year and ten days. On the 
other hand the cuneiform text relates that the storm 
and flood prevailed only seven days, and that on the 
seventh day the storm ceased, then the ship was 
stranded for seven days on the mountains of Nizir, 
and on the seventh day Hasisadra sent forth the birds. 
Thus the cuneiform record only speaks of fourteen 
days for the flood, and even allowing that it did not 
end on the fourteenth day the time implied cannot be 
so long as the duration of the flood in the Biblical 
account. With respect to the mountain on which the 
ark rested there is again a curious difference. The 
cuneiform text states that the ark grounded on the 
mountains of Nizir, and the indications as to the place 
of Nizir fix it between the 35th and 36th parallels 
of latitude east of the river Tigris. The position of 
the mountains of Nizir is given in the inscriptions 
of Assurnazirpal king of Assyria. 1 The Assyrian 
monarch to reach Nizir started from Kalzu (modern 


1 “ Cuneiform Inscriptions,” vol. i. p. 20, lines 34 and 36. 




FLOiOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


21 7 


Shamamek near Ervil) and crossed oyer the lower 
Zab near Altun Kupri. The mountains near there 
correspond to the described position of Nizir and 
probably represent the place mentioned in the cunei¬ 
form legend. The present tradition of the country 
places the mountain of the ark in the Jebel Djudi 
opposite Djezireh, far to the north of the Chaldean 
site, and the popular traditions of Western Europe 
place the mountain on the modern range of Ararat, 
still farther to the north. The more southern locality 
Nizir is most likely the spot of the oldest tradition, 
and the story has probably been subsequently attached 
to the other mountains as later peoples learnt the 
legend. The account of the sending forth of the 
birds shows some points of difference. In the book of 
Genesis it is stated that Noah sent forth a raven which 
did not return, and a dove, which finding no rest for 
its feet returned to him. Seven days after, he again 
sent out the dove, and the bird returned with an 
olive leaf in her mouth. After another seven days, 
he once more sent out the dove, which returned no 
more. The account of Berosus mentions the sending 
forth of the birds, but does not mention what kinds 
were tried. On the first trial the birds returned, and 
on the second trial they came back with mud on their 
feet, but on the third occasion they did not return. 
The cuneiform inscription gives first the trial of the 
dove which was first sent out, and finding no resting- 
place returned. Next that of the swallow, which 
returned in the same manner, and last that of the 


218 


THE IZDUBAB OB 


raven, which did not return. Not to pursue this 
parallel further, it will be perceived that when the 
Chaldean account is compared with the Biblical nar¬ 
rative, in their main features the two stories fairly 
agree; as to the wickedness of the antediluvian world, 
the divine anger and command to build the ark, its 
stocking with birds and beasts, the coming of the 
deluge, the rain and storm, the ark resting on a 
mountain, trial being made by birds sent out to see 
if the water had subsided, and the building of an 
altar after the flood. All these main facts occur in 
the same order in both narratives, but when we come 
to examine the details of these stages in the two 
accounts there appear numerous points of difference; 
as to the number of people who were saved, the 
duration of the deluge, the place where the ark 
rested, the order of sending out the birds, and other 
similar matters. The cuneiform inscription differs 
widely at its close from the Biblical account with 
respect to the fate of the patriarch who built the ark. 
The Bible says that Noah lived 350 years after the 
flood and then died, but the cuneiform tablet and 
Berosus both state that Xisithrus was translated to 
the company of the gods for his piety, a reward which, 
according to Genesis, was conferred on Enoch, the 
ancestor of Noah. Xisithrus being translated dwelt 
somewhere on the Persian Gulf near the mouth of 
the Euphrates, and here Izdubar sought and found 
him. The district of the Persian Gulf was counted 
as a sacred region by the early inhabitants of Baby- 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


219 


Ionia, and in their fabulous account of the period 
before the flood, they represented certain composite 
creatures, half man and half fish, as rising out of the 
sea there, and coming to Babylonia to teach the 
primitive inhabitants of the country the arts of 
civilization. 

In answer to the request of Izdubar Xisithrus 
is supposed to have related to him the history of 
the flood, and to have given directions for curing the 
monarch of his illness, which appears to have been a 
sort of leprosy or skin disease. On returning from 
this journey to seek Xisithrus, Izdubar indulges in 
some reflections on the waste of his former life, and 
the defencelessness of his great city Erech. After the 
account of the visit to Xisithrus, and the story of the 
flood, comes the twelfth and last tablet in the series, 
in some respects the most remarkable and important 
of the legends, for it clearly shows that the early 
Babylonians believed in the existence of the soul, of 
a future life, and of heaven and hell. 

Heabani, the seer or astrologer of Izdubar, has 
been killed by a tambukku, a wild animal, and 
Izdubar utters a lamentation over him which is full 
of poetical feeling. 

Next we are told that Heabani does not rest under 
the earth, and petitions are made to various deities 
to transfer him to heaven. These requests are not 
listened to until they reach Hea, who rules the 
infernal regions; when Hea directs a god, most pro¬ 
bably his son Merodach, to release the soul of Hea- 


220 


THE IZDTJBAR OR 


bani, and he performs this order. It appears from 
these passages that the Babylonians believed in a 
spirit or soul in man which they called a u vadukku ,” 
and the vadukku or ghost of Heabani on being called 
out of the earth makes a speech, apparently addressed 
to Heabani himself, indicating a notion of a dual 
nature in man. The abodes of the dead were sup¬ 
posed to consist of two regions, one in the sky, pre¬ 
sided over by Anu the god of heaven and Bel the 
god of the earth, and the other beneath the world, 
presided over by Hea the god of the ocean and 
infernal regions. In the upper regions or heaven 
were the abodes of the blessed; there the departed 
wore crowns, they drank beautiful waters and con¬ 
sorted with the gods; but the notions of glory and 
honour at that day come out in the description of the 
inhabitants of this happy region, they are the kings 
and conquerors of the earth, the diviners and priests 
and great men, in fact, the strong and successful 
among mankind. On the other hand, the description 
of the infernal regions is most vivid and powerful, 
and is almost the same as that in the splendid in¬ 
scription of the descent of Ishtar into Hades, where 
we read:—- 

1. u lo Hades the land of my knowledge; 

2. Ishtar daughter of Sin, her ear inclined; 

3. Inclined the daughter of Sin, her ear; 

4. To the house of the departed, the seat of the 
god Irkalla; 

5. To the house from within which, is no exit; 


FLOOD SERIES OF LEGENDS. 


221 


6. To the road the course of which, never returns; 

7. To the place within which, they long for light; 

8. The place where dust is their nourishment, and 
their food mud; 

9. Light is never seen, in darkness they dwell; 

10. Its chiefs also like birds are clothed with wings; 

11. Over the door and its bolts, is scattered dust.” 

This dark region where the inhabitants in their 

hunger devour filth and thirst for light is guarded 
by seven gates, and surrounded by the waters of 
death; it is the home of the weak and conquered ones, 
of wives who stray from their husbands, and men 
who abandon their wives, and disobedient children. 
These are represented as weeping in misery and cor¬ 
ruption in their dark and eternal prison-house, u the 
place from which there is no return.” 

By the power of Hea, who here corresponds to 
Pluto, the lord of Hades, the ghost of Heabani was 
delivered from this hell, and, rising out of the earth, 
soars up to heaven. These religious ideas are re¬ 
markable on account of their close similarity to those 
of later religions and subsequent races, and their im¬ 
portance is increased by their antiquity, as at the latest 
they date more than 2,000 years before the Christian 
era. The heaven or region of the blessed was called 
Samu , and was divided into various sub-regions 
bearing different names, the highest being the 
u Heaven of Anu ,” the supreme celestial god. Hell, 
on the other hand, was generally called matnude or 
aralli ) but has various other titles. 


222 


THE IZDUBAB. 


The legends of Izdubar close with the description, 
still by the vaduhhu or a ghost,” of the burial of a war¬ 
rior, which shows to some extent the customs of the 
time, a time when personal prowess and courage in battle 
were esteemed as the greatest glories. In connection 
with these legends are numerous other shorter stories 
of the same class, one of the most curious of which is 
part of a description of the Creation, which I found 
in the north palace at Kouyunjik, it is however too 
mutilated for translation. I believe that the legends 
current in Babylonia in the time of Izdubar were 
the foundation for the Chaldean accounts of the 
origin of the world, the antediluvians, the flood, 
and various other stories of primitive time. 

There are in the British Museum fragments of 
inscriptions stated to have been written in the time 
of Izdubar, and I think the myths and wonders re¬ 
lated of his reign, while they prove the ignorance 
and superstition of the time, do not warrant us in 
regarding his reign as unhistorical. A theory has 
been advanced by Sir Henry Rawlinson, that the 
legends of Izdubar describe the passage of the sun 
through the signs of the zodiac. There is no founda¬ 
tion whatever for this opinion, which is contradicted 
by the plain narrative of the legends. The history 
of Izdubar is poetical and exaggerated, and like all 
early histories abounds in miracles; but I believe it 
contains a basis of truth, and that this monarch 
really reigned and founded the Babylonian kingdom. 



Chapter XII. 

EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 

Elamite conquest.—Sargon of Akkad.—His birth.—Concealed 
in ark.—Agn.—Temple of Bel.—Prayer for the king.—Dnngi 
king of Ur.—Kndurmabnk.—Hammurabi.—Conquest of Baby¬ 
lonia. — Early bilingual text. — Turanian writing. — Semitic 
writing.—Riagu.—Text from Kouyunjik.—Kurigalzu.—Mero- 
dach Baladan I.—Royal grant.—Boundary stone.—Curses. 


MONG the new texts discovered during 
my expeditions to the valley of the 
Euphrates are several inscriptions of 
great importance belonging to the early 
kings of Babylonia. One of these is a new text of 
Assurbanipal relating to the restoration of the image 
of the goddess Nana. In the book of Genesis it is 
stated that in the time of Abraham Babylonia was 
under the dominion of the kingdom of Elam, and the 
monarch of that country bore the name of Chedor- 
laomar or Kudurlagamar. In the inscriptions of 
Assurbanipal, who reigned B.c. 668 to 626, we are 
told that when that Assyrian monarch took the city 
of Shushan, the capital of Elam, b.c. 645, he brought 




224 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


away from the city an image of the goddess Nana, 
which had been carried off from the city of Erech 
by Kudur-nanhundi, the Elamite monarch at the time 
of the Elamite conquest of Babylonia 1,635 years be¬ 
fore (or b.c. 2280), thus confirming the statement of 
Genesis, that there was an early conquest of Baby¬ 
lonia by the Elamites. The new text which I dis¬ 
covered in the north palace, Kouyunjik, differs only 
slightly from the ones I formerly published: the 
variant passage in it reads— 

“ 1. The goddess Nana who for these 1,635 years 

2. had been desecrated, and had dwelt in a place 
unsuitable to her, 

3. until the days of her captivity were full. 

4. Her journey to Erech, her entry to Bit-anna, 

5. she had commanded to my majesty.” 

The rest of the inscription, describing the restora¬ 
tion of the image, is similar to those in my u History 
of Assurbanipal,” pages 234-6 and 249-51. In the 
palace of Sennacherib at Kouyunjik I found another 
fragment of the curious history of Sargon, a transla¬ 
tion of which I published in the “ Transactions of 
the Society of Biblical Archseology,” vol. i. part i. 
page 46. This text relates, that Sargon, an early 
Babylonian monarch, was born of royal parents, but 
concealed by his mother, who placed him on the 
Euphrates in an ark of rushes, coated with bitumen, 
like that in which the mother of Moses hid her child, 
see Exodus ii. Sargon was discovered by a man 
named Akki, a water-carrier, who adopted him as his 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 225 

son, and lie afterwards became king of Babylonia. 
The capital of Sargon was the great city of Agadi, 
called by the Semites Akkad, 1 mentioned in Genesis 
as a capital of Nimrod (Genesis x. 10), and here 
he reigned for forty-five years. Akkad lay near the 
city of Sippara on the Euphrates and north of 
Babylon. The date of Sargon, who may be termed 
the Babylonian Moses, was in the sixteenth century 
b.c. or perhaps earlier. 

Another inscription I discovered at Kouyunjik, 
belonged to an early Babylonian monarch named 
Agu, who restored the temple of Merodach at 
Babylon. A portion of this tablet was already in 
the British Museum, but not sufficient to enable us 
to judge of the date or importance of the inscrip¬ 
tion. The genealogy and essential parts of the text 
are, however, found in the new fragment which I 
obtained from the north palace, Kouyunjik. This 
copy belongs to the time of Assurbanipal, king of 
Assyria, and was taken as usual from an earlier 
document. The original was of great antiquity, 
being inscribed most probably more than 2,000 years 
before the Christian era. There are six Babylonian 
monarchs mentioned in the inscription, all of them 
kings not previously known, although one of the 
names, Suqamunu, is known as a god at a later period. 
This inscription will give some idea of the worship 


1 I have only recently discovered the identity of Akkad with 
the capital of Sargon. 


Q 



226 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


of the Babylonian gods at this early period. It com¬ 
mences— 

Column I. 

“ 1. Agu-kak-rimi 

2. the son of Tassi-gurubar, 

3. the noble seed 

4. of Suqamunu, 

5. named by the gods Anu and Bel 

6. Hea and Meroach 

7. Sin and Shamas. 

8. The powerful chief 

9. of Ishtar the archer 

10. of the goddesses am I. 

11. The king judicious and wise 

12. the king learned and friendly, 

13. the son of Tassi-gurubar, 

14. the grandson 

15. of Abi . . . . 

16. the powerful warrior 

17. devouring his enemies, 

18. the eldest son 

19. of Agu-rabi, 

20. the noble seed the royal seed 

21. of U mmih-zirriti, 

22. The ruler of men 

23. the powerful one am I 

24. The ruler of . 

25. many peoples, • 

26. the warrior 



EARLY B ABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


227 


27. of rulers 

28. the establisher 

29. of the throne of his father 

30. am I. 


31. The king of the Kassi 

32. and Akkadi, 

33. the king of Babylon 

34. the great. 

35. The settler of 

36. the land of Asnunnak the people 

37. numerous of Padan, 

38. and Alman, king of Goim, 

39. the people mighty, 

40. the king the director 

41. of the four races, 

42. the follower of the great gods 

43. am I. 


44. When Merodach 

45. the lord of the temple of Saggal, 

46. and the lady of Babylon, 

47. the great gods, 

48. in their noble mouth 

49. to the city of Babylon 

50. his return commanded; 

51. the god Merodach to Babylon 

52. his city set his face. 

53 .the god Merodach 

54 .my .... 




228 EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 

Column II. 

1. I honoured, I glorified, and 

2. to carry the god Merodach 

3. to the city of Babylon, 

4. his face I set and 

5. in the will of Merodach 

6. lover of my reign 

7. I walked. 

8. Saru-samas- the officer I called, and 

9. to a remote country to the land of Hani 

10. I sent him, and he the gods Merodach 

11. and Zirat-banit 

12. took, and 

13. Merodach and Zirat-banit 

14. lovers of my reign. 

15. to the temple of Saggal 

16. and Babylon 

17. I restored them. 

18. In the temple of the sun 

19. for now and after time, 

20. I established, 

21. I restored them. 

The country of Hani, to which the images of 
Merodach and Zirat-banit had been carried, lay 
north-east of Babylonia, and was early incorporated 
with Assyria. It is most likely that the Babylonians 
were worsted in war when they lost these sacred 
images. 



EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


229 


The record then describes that the monarch gave 
costly robes to these gods, adorned with purple and 
gold, together with many precious stones, which were 
given to the temple. A crown and diadem full of 
beauty and splendidly adorned, together with other 
valuable offerings, were also given to Merodach and 
his consort, and the king restored the temple of 
Saggal, the great house of Bel at Babylon, and built 
a papaha, or shrine, for the god, called the temple of 
Kua. The Babylonian monarch also dedicated some 
people, a house, grounds, and plantations, for the 
service of the temple, and the tablet gives a long list 
of blessings invoked by the priests on the head of the 
pious king. 

1. To the king Agu 

2. who the shrine of Merodach 

3. had built, 

4. and the temple of Merodach had restored, 

Column VII. 

1. the god Merodach 

2. to his seat 

3. had caused to enter, 

4. the whole of 

5. the sons of the people 

6. those of them 

7. the portion of the house, ground, and plantation, 

8. to the gods Merodach 

9. and Zirat-banit 

10. he had dedicated them. 




230 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS . 


11. Of the king Agu 

12. may his days be many, 

13. may his years be extended, 

14. his reign in blessings 

15. may it abound, 

16. The spirit of heaven 

17. wide 

18. may it glorify him, 

19. the increase of 

20. the rain 

21. may. 

22 . 

23. god. 

24. spreading .... 

25. for ever .... 

26. in far off. 

27. ennoble him. 

28. To the good king 

29. Agu, 

30. who the shrine of Merodach 

31. has built, 

32. and the sons of the people 

33. has dedicated. 


34. The gods Anu and Anunitu 

35. in heaven may they favour him, 

36. The gods Bel and Belat 

Sl in the temple also excellent renown 

38. may they give him. 

39. The gods Hea 







EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


231 


40. and Davkina 

41. dwelling in the great deep, 

42. days of vigour 

43. extended, 

44. may they give to him. 

45. The goddess Ziru lady of the high mountains, 

Column VIII. 

1. plenty 

2. may she give to him. 

3. Sin the light of heaven, 

4. the continuance of his kingdom 

5. for many days, 

6. may he grant him. 

7. The prince Shamas 

8. the ruler of Heaven 

9. and earth, 

10. stability to the throne 

11. of his empire, 

12. to days 

13. remote, 

14. may he fix. 

15. Hea lord of mankind, 

1G. wisdom 

17. may he grant to him. 

18. Merodach lover of his reign, 

19. lord of fountains, 

20. his fertility 

21. may he give to him. 




232 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


22. The inscription 

23. of Agu. 

The end of the inscription describes that the copy 
was made in the time of Assurbanipal, king of Assyria, 
b.c. 668. All these inscriptions are later documents, 
copies of earlier texts, or containing statements re¬ 
ferring to ancient events; but those which follow are 
inscriptions of the early Chaldean period. The first 
of these is on a small oblong stone written in the old 
hieratic form of cuneiform characters, the language 
being the Turanian Babylonian, the tongue spoken 
in Chaldea before the Semitic period. This inscrip¬ 
tion belongs to Dungi, an early Chaldean monarch, 
whose age is quite unknown, but who may be placed 
in round numbers at at least b.c. 2000. Dunoi was 

o 

king of Ur, then the capital of Babylonia, he was son 
of Urukh, the earliest Babylonian monarch who has 
left any known monuments. This inscription be¬ 
longs to the city of Babylon, and is dedicated to the 
lady or goddess of “ Su-anna or Emuk-anu,” one of 
the religious names of Babylon. The text reads— 

1. To the goddess of Emukanu 

2. his lady; 

3. Dungi 

4. the powerful hero, 

5. the king of the city of Ur, 

6. king of Sumir and Akkad; 

7. her temple 

8. has built. 

The simple ancient style of the inscription re- 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 233 

sembles that of other texts of the earliest period, and 
its contents prove that Babylon was at that time 
under the dominion of the city of Ur, which some 
suppose to be the Ur of the Chaldees the births 
place of Abraham. Another new monument dis¬ 
covered at Babylon is a large heavy stone with a 
bilingual inscription of Hammurabi. This bilingual 
text is written in double columns, on one side the 
Turanian, and on the other side the corresponding 
Semitic text. Like the former inscription, it is in old 
hieratic Babylonian characters, and belongs to the 
reign of Hammurabi, an early Babylonian monarch. 

The subject-matter of the text probably refers to 
some of the numerous public works executed by 
Hammurabi, but the inscription is mutilated; its 
great value consists in the fact that it is a bilingual 
inscription, at least 800 years earlier than any pre¬ 
viously discovered text of the same class. On the right- 
hand half of every column of writing is the copy in 
what is called Akkad or Turanian or proto-Baby¬ 
lonian, for scholars are not agreed as to a name for 
this early tongue. On the left hand stands the copy 
in Semitic Babylonian, which is the translation and 
equivalent of the other. I here give two extracts from 
the tablet, the first with the titles of Hammurabi, the 
second the close of the tablet, asking for blessings 
upon him. 

Hammurabi, so far as we know him, com¬ 
menced his reign as king of Babylon at a time when 
the country was divided into several states, a ruler 


234 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS . 


named Kudur-mabuk, an Elamite, governing the re¬ 
gion near Bagdad on the east of the Tigris, and the 
son of Kudur-mabuk, named Rim-agu or Riagu, being 
king of Larsa (now .Senkereh) in the south of the 
country. Hammurabi met and defeated the forces of 
Kudur-mabuk and Rim-agu and then united Baby¬ 
lonia under his own sceptre, making the city of 
Babylon the capital of the country. The martial 
titles in the first extract from this inscription most 
probably refer to his successful war with Kudur- 
mabuk and his son. 

Extract from bilingual tablet:— 

1. Hammurabi 

2. the king, the powerful warrior 

3. destroying the enemy, 

4. sweeper away of opposition, 

5. possessor of his enemies. 

6. Maker of battle, 

7. spreader of reverence. 

8. The plunderer, 

9. the warrior, 

10. the destroyer. 

The second extract is one of those prayers for the 
good and success of the monarch, which generally 
follow large inscriptions. 

1. established 

2. in the four regions, 

3. and in the heights of heaven 

4. thy glory may they proclaim. 

5. With valour 


EARLY B ABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


235 


6. may they bless thee, 

7. may their faces be propitious, 

8. riches and greatness 

9. may they accumulate, 

10. with great exaltation 

11. may they exalt thee. 

The date of Hammurabi the author of this text 
is uncertain, and we can only say at present that he 
reigned not later than the sixteenth century before 
the Christian era. 

In the mound of Ivouyunjik I found part of a stone 
memorial tablet, apparently belonging to Riagu, or 
Rimagu, the king who was defeated by Hammurabi. 
The royal name, however, is mutilated; it reads:— 

1. Rim ?-agu, 

2. the powerful hero, 

3. the governor of Ur, 

4. king of Larsa, 

5. king of Sumir and Akkad. 

On the reverse is a fragment recording the restora¬ 
tion of some building. It is curious to find a tablet 
of this age at Kouyunjik, but the most probable 
explanation of the circumstance is, that this was a 
tablet carried off from Babylonia by the Assyrians 
during one of their wars. 

The next inscription of the early Babylonian 
period belongs to Kuri-galzu, a monarch of a foreign 
race, who reigned b.c. 1370. This race of kings is 
called by Berosus u Arabian.” The princes of the line 


286 


EARLY B ABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


were on friendly terms with the kings of Assyria, 
and one of them, named Burna-buriyas, married Mu- 
balidat-serua, the daughter of Assur-ubalid king of 
Assyria, and Kara-hardas the fruit of this union 
ascended the Bab} r lonian throne. The Babylonians, 
who were dissatisfied with this alliance, revolted 
against him, putting him to death and setting up in 
his place a man named Nazi-bugas. Bel-nirari the 
king of Assyria took up the cause of Ivuri-galzu, 
another son of Burna-buriyas, and marched into 
Babylonia to his aid. The Assyrians and the fol¬ 
lowers of Kuri-galzu defeated and killed Nazi-bugas, 
and Kuri-galzu ascended the Babylonian throne about 
b.c. 1370. This monarch was a great and successful 
prince, and is called “ the unrivalled king: ” the new 
inscription belonging to him is small, written round 
the eye of a statue, and reads “To Yul his lord, 
Kuri-galzu son of Ki . . . .” It was customary in 
the Babylonian period to make statues of metal or 
stone and to inlay the eyes of the figures with gems 
or agates cut to resemble the shape and colour of the 
eyes: the eye in question is one of this class, which 
belonged to a statue of the god Yul dedicated by 
Kuri-galzu. 

The latest inscription I discovered of this period 
is a monolith of the grandson of Kuri-galzu, who bore 
the name of Merodach Baladan. 

This inscription is on a large white stone about 
three feet high, having on the face a rude picture 
containing the emblems of the gods, including the 



Emblems of the Gods on Stone of Merodach Baladan I. 


























EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 


237 


symbols of the sun and moon, a scorpion, dove, 
winged lion, a ziggurat or tower and many others. 
The back of the stone contains an inscription in three 
columns of 115 lines of writing, giving an account of 
a field of which this was the boundary or memorial 
stone, and relating that this property was granted by 
Merodach Baladan the king to his servant Maraduk- 
zakir-izkur in return for services rendered to the 
state. The document closes with a series of curses 
against anyone who should object to the right of 
Maraduk-zakir-izkur over the ground, and the gods 
whose emblems are carved on the stone were in¬ 
voked to punish the defrauder. This stone adds two 
new kings to the fist of Babylonian monarchs already 
known. Our history formerly ended with the reign 
of Kuri-galzu, but we now know that he was suc¬ 
ceeded by his son Mili-sihu and he again by his son 
Merodach Baladan I., the date of whose reign and con¬ 
sequently of this stone being about b.c. 1320. The 
inscription on the stone reads— 

Column I. 

1. A plantation? of 90 seTcul 

2. in measurements of great cubits, 

3. a field of the town of Dur-zizi 

4. beside the river Tigris, 

5. in the district of the city of Ziku-istar. 

6. Its upper side being on the west 

7. of the river Tigris; 

8. its lower side being on the east, 


238 EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS. 

9. by the boundary 

10. of the house of Nazi-maruduk 

11. of the city of Ziku-istar; 

12. its upper end was on the north 

13. of the boundary of the city of Ilu-zagari, 

14. and the house of Tunamissaki 

15. the leader; 

16. its lower end was on the south 

17. of the boundary of the ground in the district 

18. of the city of Ziku-istar, 

19. and the city of Dur-zizi; 

20. which Merodach Baladan 

21. the king of nations, 

22. king of Sumir and Akkad, 

23. son of Mili-sihu 

24. king of Babylon, 

25. grandson of Kuri-galzu 

26. the unrivalled king; 

27. to Maruduk-zakir-izkur 

28. the governor of 

29. ... . the temple and country 

30. of the city of Idbimutgal 

31. of.heaven and earth, 

32. son of Nabu-nadin-ahi, 

33. of whom the father of his father 

34. was Rimini-maruduk, 

Column II. 

1. heart of hearts (descendant) 

2. of Uballad-su-maruduk, 



EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS . 


239 


3. the descendant of Arad-hea 

4. his servant; 

5. To praise the kingdom 

6. taxes. 

7. to sing the glory 

8. of the gods Nebo and Saru, 

9. and praise Sarturda 

10. the god who begot him, 

11.of heaven and earth 

12. . . the house of the sun of Borsippa 

13. the sudusi 

14. and the preservation of the temple of Sidda 

15. in the day of payment, 

16. the day of going out, 

17. with his lord 

18. Merodach Baladan. 

19. Appointed for 

20. after days, 

21. successive months, 

22. and years 

23. unbroken, 

24. to that man 

25. without fail, 

26. I give for good 

27. like the delight of heaven, 

28. for a settlement, 

29. in return for his work. 

30. Making witness, 

31. Ninip-pal-idina 

32. son of Yul-nazir 




240 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS . 


33. governor of the city of Zaku-istar, 

34. Nabu-nazir 

35. son of Nazi-maruduk the attendant, 

36. and Nabu-sanismu? 

37. son of Arad-hea 

38. the dugab . 

Column III. 

1. If a ruler or eunuch 

2. or a citizen, the memorial stone 

3. of this ground 

4. takes and 

5. destroys, 

6. in a place where it cannot be seen 

7. to any where 

8. shall place it in, 

9. and this stone tablet 

10. if a naka or a brother, 

11. or a Jcatu or a . . . 

12. or an evil one, 

13. or an enemy, 

14. or any other person, 

15. or the son of the owner of this land, 

16. shall act falsely, 

17. and shall destroy it, 

18. into the water or into the fire, 

19. shall throw it, 

20. with a stone shall break it, 

21. from the hand of Maruduk-zakir-izkur 

22. and his seed shall take it away, 


EARLY BABYLONIAN TEXTS . 


241 


23. and above or below 

24. shall send it; 

25. The gods Anu, Bel, and Hea, 

26. Ninip and Gula, 

27. these lords 

28. and all the gods 

29. on this stone tablet 

30. whose emblems are seen, 

31. violently may they destroy his name, 

32. a curse unmitigated 

33. may they curse over him, 

34. calamity ? 

35. may they bring upon him. 

36. May his seed be swept away 

37. in evil, 

38. and not in good, 

39. and in the day of departing 

40. of life may he expire, 

41. and Shamas and Merodach 

42. tear him asunder, and 

43. may none mourn for him. 

I believe the Babylonian measure of land called a 
sekul measured about 40,000 square feet, or rather 
less than an English acre. The stone containing this 
inscription was discovered on the western side of the 
Tigris, opposite the town of Baghdad. The smaller 
fragments of the new Assyrian collection introduce 
to us several details of other portions of early Baby¬ 
lonian history, but these come properly into the next 
division of early Assyrian texts. 

R 


r 



Chapter XIII. 

EARLY ASSYRIAN INSCRIPTIONS. 

Early Pottery—Text of Vul-nirari I.—Shalmaneser.—Temple 
of Ishtar.— Tngulti-ninip.—Babylonian wars.—Mutagil-nnsku. 
—Assnr-risilim.—Tiglath Pileser I.—Assur-nazir-pal. 

Y excavations at Kouyunjik and Nim- 
roud, and the examination of Kalah 
Shergat, have brought to light numer¬ 
ous texts belonging to the period of 
the early Assyrian empire. At Kouyunjik, in the 
area of the temples of Ishtar, I found numerous in¬ 
scriptions and fragments of all ages, the oldest of 
which were some fragments of votive dishes, which 
I should place at least as early as the nineteenth 
century b.c. After these comes a fragment of a 
tablet referring to the diplomatic relations of Assy¬ 
ria and Babylonia, and mentioning some very early 
monarchs ; this fragment is, however, a later copy, 
and not an original document. Contemporary 
documents commence again with the reign of Yul- 
nirari I., b.c. 1320. In the ruins of Kalah Shergat 
I saw many fragments of inscriptions belonging to 






EARLY ASSYRIAN INSCRIPTIONS. 243 


this monarch, who there repaired a great temple to 
Assur, and I purchased a fine stone tablet found at 
this spot, which was in the hands of the French 
consul. This tablet is inscribed on both sides, and 
contains eighty lines of cuneiform text relating to 
the reigns of Assur-ubalid, Bel-nirari, Budil, and 
Vul-nirari, four successive Assyrian monarchs who 
reigned in the fourteenth century b.c. This docu¬ 
ment gives us almost all our knowledge of these 
reigns, and shows the extent of the Assyrian terri¬ 
tory and the tribes conquered during this period, 
which was previously an obscure epoch in Assyrian 
history. The tablet was inscribed during the reign 
of Vul-nirari I., king of Assyria, b.c. 1320, to com¬ 
memorate the restoration of the causeway of the 
temple of Assur at that capital. The translation 
reads— 

1. Vul-nirari the noble prince appointed by heaven, 

2. the noble established by the gods, 

3. founder of cities, conqueror (?) 

4. of the armies of Kassi, Guti (Goim), Lulumi, 

5. and Subari, destroyer of all 

6. the upper and lower foreigners, trampling on 

7. their countries from Lubdi and Rapiqu, 

8. to ... . Zabiddi and Nisi. 

9. Remover of boundaries and landmarks, 

10.kings and princes 

11. the gods Anu, Assur, Samas, Vul, 

12. and Istar, to his feet have subjected. 

13. The mighty worshipper of Bel, 



244 


EARLY ASSYRIAN 


14. son of Pudil priest of Bel, 

15. viceroy of Assur, conqueror of 

16. Turuki and Nirhi, 

17. to the extremity of all their land, 

18. king of the mountains and forests 

19. to the extremity of wide Guti, 

20. Gunuhlami, and Suti, 

21. their streams and lands, 

22. remover of boundaries and landmarks. 

23. Grandson of Bel-nirari 

24. viceroy of Assur also who the army of the 
Ivassi 

25. destroyed, and the spoil of his enemies 

26. his hand captured, remover of boundaries 

27. and landmarks. Great grandson of 

28. Assur-ubalid the powerful king 

29. of whom his worship in the temple was fixed, 

30. the protection and alliance of his kingdom 

31. afar off like a mountain extended, 

32. sweeper away of the forces of 

33. wide Subari, 

34. remover of boundaries and landmarks. 

35. AVBen the ascent to the house of Assur my 
lord, 

36. which was before the gate of the people of the 
country, 

37. and the gate of the judges; 

38. which in former time had been made, decayed, 

39. was stopped up, and ruined; 

40. that place I constructed, 


INSCRIPTIONS. 


245 


41. its measure I took, 

42. with clay and earth four gurs I made, 

43. I built it, to its place I restored it, 

44. and my tablet I placed 

45. for after days. The future prince who 

46. when this place 

47. becomes old and decayed, 

48. its damage repairs, and my tablet written with 
my name 

49. to its place restores ; The god Assur 

50. his prayer shall hear. Whoever the writing 
of my name 

51. shall efface, and his own name shall write, 

52. and my tablet shall cause to cover, 

53. to destruction shall consign 

54. into the flood shall throw, in the fire 

55. shall burn, into the water shall hurl, 

56. in the ground shall cover, 

57. or into the storehouse the place not seen 

58. shall send and shall place it, 

59. then I appoint these curses 

60. to the foreigner, the stranger, the enemy, the 
evil one, 

61. the strange tongue and any one 

62. a rival shall send and execute, 

63. and anyone who desires shall perform them. 

64. Assur the mighty god dwelling in the temple 
of Sadimatati, 

65. Anu, Bel, Hea, and Ziru, 

66. the great gods, the angels of heaven, 


246 


EARLY ASSYRIAN 


67. and the spirits of earth in their might 

68. firmly may they seize him, 

69. an evil curse quickly 

70. may they curse on him ; his name, his seed, his 
forces, 

71. and his family, from the country may they 
wipe out. 

72. Sweeping his country, destroying his people, 

73. and his landmarks. By their great mouth 

74. it is uttered, and Yul in his storming- 

75. evil, may he stir up a flood, 

76. an evil wind, an injurious earthquake, 

77. a destruction, a failure of food, 

78. the curse of famine in his country may he make, 
rain in his country like a deluge may he send, 

79. to mounds and ruins may he turn it, and Yul 
in his evil consumption, his country may he consume. 

80. Month Muhur-ili, twentieth day, eponymy of 
Salman urris. 

This tablet is of the highest importance ; it shows 
that Assyria at this time had already taken a leading 
place in the world, and was the most powerful state 
in Asia ; the Kassi, who were defeated both by Bel- 
nirariand his grandson Yul-nirari, were the leading 
tribe in Babylonia at this time. Yul-nirari, after a 
prosperous reign, left his crown to his son, Shalma¬ 
neser I., about b.c. 1300. Of Shalmaneser I found 
several memorials, all in the temple area, in the centre 
of the mound of Kouyunjik. One of these is a brick 
from a palace which formerly stood in this locality. A 


INSCRIPTIONS . 


247 


short time back nothing was known of Nineveh as a 
royal seat before the time of Assur-bil-kala. I found, 
about seven years ago, several inscriptions showing 
that the city was built and had a temple to Ishtar as 
early as the nineteenth century b.c., and there is an 
unnoticed fragment of Assur-risilim, who reigned b.c. 
1150, among Layard’s inscriptions, plate 75 f, which 
shows that there was a palace at Nineveh in his time. 
Now, however, we know that Nineveh was a royal 
residence at least 150 years earlier, in the time of 
Shalmaneser I. This inscription reads—“ Palace of 
Shalmaneser, king of nations, the son of Yul-nirari, 
king of nations also.” Other fragments turned up 
belonging to the same palace, but nothing was ob¬ 
tained in position or perfect enough to give any idea 
of this building, probably the oldest royal residence 
in the city of Nineveh. I discovered also a number 
of relics of the same king from the temple of Ishtar; 
among these was a brick inscription, which reads— 

1. To the goddess Ishtar 

2. his lady Shalman- 

3. -eser viceroy of Assur 

4. king of nations 

There is a curious peculiarity about this inscrip¬ 
tion ; it divides the name Shalmaneser, part of which 
is in line 2 and the rest in line 3. The division of a 
word is very unusual in Assyrian inscriptions. Another 
inscription belonging to this monarch which I dis¬ 
covered at Kouyunjik, is part of a votive dish be¬ 
longing to the temple of Ishtar; from this and some 


248 


EARLY ASSYRIAN 


other fragments the early history of this ancient 
temple can be traced. It appears that this temple 
was founded in very early times and restored by 
Samsi-vul in the nineteenth century b.c. One frag¬ 
ment of this age from the temple I discovered on the 
spot. After the time of Samsi-vul the temple fell 
into decay, and was restored by Assur-ubalid, king 
of Assyria, b.c. 1400. Again after this becoming 
ruinous, it was restored by Shalmaneser I., b.c. 1300. 
I have prepared a restored translation of the votive 



Head prom Statue of the Goddess Ishtar. 
From her temple, Kouyunjik. 


dish inscription of Shalmaneser; in parts the record 
is so mutilated that I have only given the general 
sense. 

Shalmaneser the powerful king, king of nations, 
king of Assyria; son of Vul-nirari, the powerful king, 
king of nations, king of Assyria; son of Budil, the 
powerful king, king of nations, king of Assyria also. 


INSCRIPTIONS. 


249 


Conqueror of . . . Niri, Lulumi . . . and Muzri, 
who in the service of the goddess Ishtar, his lady, 
has marched and has no rival, who in the midst of 
battle has fought and has conquered their lands. 
When the temple of the goddess Ishtar, the lady of 
Nineveh, my lady, which Samsi-vul, the prince who 
went before me had built, and which had decayed, 
and Assur-ubalid, my father, had restored it; that 
temple in the course of my time had decayed, and 
from its foundation to its roof I rebuilt it. The 
prince who comes after me, who my cylinders shall 
see and restore to their place, like I the cylinders of 
Assur-ubalid have restored to their place, may Ishtar 
bless him; and whoever destroys my records, may 
Ishtar curse him, and his name and his seed from the 
country root out.” 

The rebuilding of the temple of Ishtar was con¬ 
tinued after the death of Shalmaneser by his son, 
Tugulti-ninip, and from the same spot I recovered 
some of the inscriptions of this monarch. One on a 
brick states: 

1. Tugulti-ninip king of nations 

2. son of Shalmaneser king of nations also 

3. who the temple of Ishtar the lady 

4. powerful, completed 

This Tugulti-ninip, king of Assyria, was one of the 
most memorable monarchs of the period; he con¬ 
quered the Babylonians and put an end to the dominion 
of the race of Arabian kings, who according to Berosus 
had reigned in Babylonia for 245 years. The ac- 


250 


EARLY ASSYRIAN 


count of this war I found on a fragment of the syn¬ 
chronous history from the palace of Sennacherib at 
Ivouyunjik; this fragment belongs to Column II. of 
the document, nearly in the position of the fragment 
printed in u Cuneiform Inscriptions,” vol. iii. plate iv. 
No. 3. The following is a translation of the two 
fragments, the name of Tugulti-ninip being restored: 

1. Tugulti-ninip king of Assyria and Nazi-murudas 
king of Karduniyas (Babylonia) 

2. a battle in the vicinity of the city of Kar-istar- 
agarsalu fought 

3. Tugulti-ninip the overthrow of Nazi-murudas 
accomplished 

4. from.to his camp by the city of 

Hu-ahi-rabati-su feared him 

5. and over all these neighbouring provinces 

6. he ruled from the neighbourhood of Pilazzi 

7. his servants he appointed and from the river 
Tigris the city of Armanagarsal 

8. to the city of Kullar the kingdom he possessed 
and established. 


9. Bel-kudur-uzur king of Assyria Yul . . bi his 
son king of Karduniyas 

10. Bel-kudur-uzur had slain and Yul . . bi fought 
in the midst of battle 

11. in the midst of the fighting with Ninip-pal-eser 
king of Assyria and 

12. to his country he returned. After his warriors 
numerous he gathered 




INSCRIPTIONS. 


251 


13. and to the city of Assur to capture it he 
marched up. Ninip-pal-eser 

14. in his camp attacked him and compelled him to 
return to his country 

15. In the time of Zamama-zakir-idin king of Kar- 
duniyas 

16. Assur-dan king of Assyria to Karduniyas went 
down 

17. the cities of Zaba, Irriya and Agarsalu he 
captured and 

18. their abundant spoil to Assyria he carried 
away. 

This passage in the old Assyrian chronicle gives a 
curious account of the relations between Assyria 
and Karduniyas, or Babylonia, in the thirteenth cen¬ 
tury B.C. 

Of Mutaggil-nusku, king of Assyria b.c. 1170, son 
of Assur-dan, king of Assyria, I found a black stone, 
the inscription on which when restored reads :— 

1. Palace of Mutaggil-nusku 

2. king of nations king of Assyria 

3. son of Assur-dan 

4. king of nations king of Assyria 

5. son of Ninip-pal-eser 

6. king of nations king of Assyria 

This is the only inscription of this monarch yet dis¬ 
covered. 

Mutagil nusku was succeeded by his son, Assur- 




252 EARLY ASSYRIAN INSCRIPTIONS. 

risilim, b.c. 1150, of whom I discovered a clay tablet 
containing his annals. It is in ancient characters, 
and much worn. After Assur-risilim came his son, 
Tiglath Pileser I. Of this monarch I found part of 
a terra-cotta cylinder with his annals, but not perfect 
enough for translation. Coming down to the time of 
Assur-nazir-pal, b.c. 885, I found numerous inscrip¬ 
tions of this period both at Nineveh and at Kalah 
(Nimroud), and I learned from these that he rebuilt 
the palace at Nineveh and the temple of Ishtar, which 
had fallen into decay since it was repaired by Samsi- 
vul, king of Assyria, b.c. 1080. Similar inscriptions 
of Shalmaneser II., b.c. 860, the son of Assur-nazir- 
pal, record that he made additions to these various 
works of his father, both at the palace and temple of 
Nineveh. At Nimroud, while excavating in the 
temple of Nebo, I discovered two votive hands be¬ 
longing to the period of Yul-nirari III., the grandson 
of Shalmaneser II., b.c. 812. 




Chapter XIV. 

INSCRIPTIONS OF TIGLATH PILESER II. 
b.c. 745 to 727. 

Annals of Tiglatb Pileser.—Their importance.—Tablet from 
Nimrond.— Babylonian wars.—Eastern wars.—Arabian wars.— 
Syrian tribute list.—Building of palace.—Fragments of annals. 
—Azariah.—Menahem.—Rezon.—His defeat.—War in Palestine. 
Pekah.—Hoshea.—Confirmation of Bible. 


HE reign of Tiglath Pileser is an import¬ 
ant epoch in Assyrian history, and his 
inscriptions are of the utmost value for 
comparison with the Biblical history. 
No less than five Hebrew kings are mentioned in the 
annals of this monarch, three of which I had dis¬ 
covered. Unfortunately the annals of Tiglath Pileser 
are all in a mutilated condition, so that it is difficult to 
make out some of the facts in his history. The im¬ 
portance of these inscriptions in reference to the Bible 
led me to search/or additional fragments and evidence, 
and I discovered the remains of a palace of Tiglath 
Pileser at Nineveh, a part of a historical tablet at 
Nimroud, and I took paper impressions and copies of 





254 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


some other inscriptions, so as to be able to give a better 
translation of these annals. From these sources I now 
give a translation of three copies of the annals of this 
monarch, commencing with the copy which I dis¬ 
covered in the temple of Nebo at Nimroud. There 
are among our fragments at least five versions of the 
annals of this monarch. 

Fragment of Annals of Tiglath Pileser II. king 
of Assyria, from a tablet discovered in the 

. TEMPLE OF NEBO (NlMROUD.) 

1. Palace of Tiglath Pileser the great king the 
powerful king king of nations king of Assyria king 
of Babylon king of Sumir and Akkad king of the four 
regions. 

2. The powerful warrior who in the service of 
Assur his lord the whole of his haters has trampled 
on like clay, swept like a flood and reduced to 
shadows. 

3. The king who in the might of Nebo and Mero- 
dach the great gods has marched and from the sea 
of Bit-yakin to the land of Bikni bv the rising sun 

4. And the sea of the setting sun to Egypt; from 
the west to the east all countries possesses and rules 
their kingdoms. 


5. From the beginning of my reign to my 17th 
year. The tribes of Ituha, Rubuha, Havaranu, Luhua- 
tu, Harilu, Rubbu, 

6. Rapiqu, Nabatu, Gurumu, Dunanu, Ubulu, 




TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


255 


Kuhua, Lihitau, and Marasu, the cities of Dur-kuri- 
galzu, 

7 . Adini, Birtu of Sarragitu, and Birtu of Labbanat. 
The Arameans all of them who were beside the rivers 
Tigris, Euphrates, 

8 . Surappi and Ukru to the lower sea of the 
rising sun I conquered to the boundaries of Assyria 
I added. 

9 . My general prefect over them I made. In the 
cities of Sippara, Nipur, Babylon, Borsippa, Cutha 
Kisu, Kilmad? and Ur, 

10. cities unrivalled noble offerings to Bel and 
Zirat-banit Nebo and Urmitu, Nergal and Laz the 
gods my lords I poured out and I increased in might. 

11 . Kar-duniyas the whole of it I possess and I rule 
its kingdom 

12. Bit-amukkan and Bit-sahalli to their utmost 
border I swept. Nabuusabsi and Zaqaru their kings in 
hand I captured 

13. The cities of Sarrapanu, Tarbazu Yapallu Dur- 
kassat and Malilatu their great capitals 

14. with attacks ? and missiles? I took, 155,000 
people and children from them 

15. their horses ? and cattle without number I 
carried off, those countries to the boundaries of 
Assyria I added. 

10 .like clay I trampled and the assembly of 

their people to Assyria I sent. Kinziru their king in 
Sape his capital I besieged. 

17. Pillutu on the borders of Elam to the boun- 


256 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


daries of Assyria I added, in the hands of my general 
the governor of Arapha I placed it. 

18. The tribute of the kings of the Chaldeans, 
Balasu son of Dakkuri, Nadin of Larancha, and 

19. Merodach Baladan son of Yakin king of the 
sea coast, gold, the products of the country, silver, 
precious stones, strong wood Elutu wood oxen and 
sheep I received 


20 . The countries of Zimri, Bit-Sangibuti, Bit- 
hamban, Sumurzu, Bit-barrua, Bit-zualzas. ..... 

Here the record is broken off, and although I 
searched carefully round the spot where this tablet 
was discovered I failed to find the rest of the inscrip¬ 
tion. 

The second copy of the annals is translated from 
“ Cuneiform Inscriptions,” vol. ii. p. 67. 


Historical tablet of Tiglath Pileser II. 

(“ Cuneiform Inscriptions” vol. ii. p. 67.) 

1 . Palace of Tiglath Pileser, the great king, the 
powerful king, king of nations, king of Assyria, high 
priest of Babylon, king of Sumir and Akkad, king of 
the four regions. 

2 . The strong warrior who in the service of Assur 
his lord has marched through the countries and like 
a whirlwind has overspread and as captives has 
reckoned them. 

3. The king who in the might of Assur, Shamas 




TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


257 


and Merodach the great gods his lords, from the sea 
of Bit-yakin (the Persian Gulf) to Bikni of Shamsi 

4. and the sea of the setting sun, to Muzri 
(Egypt), [from the] west to the east the countries 
he has possessed, and has ruled their kingdoms. 


5. From the beginning of my kingdom to my 
17th year. The tribes of Ituha, Rubuha Havarani 
(Hauran), Luhua, Harilu, Rubbu, Rapiqu, Hiranu, 
Rabilu, 

6. Naziru, Gulusu, Nabatu (Nabateans), Rahiqu, 
Ka . . . Rummulusu, Adile, Kipre, Ubudu, Gu- 
rumu, Bagdadu, Hindaru, 

7. Damunu, Dunanu, Nilqu, Rade, Da . . . ,Ubulu, 
Karmaha, Amlatu, Ruha, Qabiha, Lehitau, Marusu 

8. Amatu (Hamath), Hagaranu (Hagarenes), and 
the cities of Dur-kurigalzu, Adili, Birtu of Sarragitu, 
Birtu of Labbanat, and Birtu of Kar-bel-matati. 

9. The Arameans all of them who are by the side 
of the rivers Tigris, Euphrates, Surappi, to the midst 
of the Ukni which is by the junction of the lower sea 
(Persian Gulf) I captured, their warriors I slew, their 
spoil I carried off. 

10. The Aramu all there were to the borders of 
Assyria I added, and my generals prefects over them 
I made. Upon the mound of Kamri which the city 
Humut they call 

11. a city I built, Kar-assur its name I called. 
People the conquests of my hand in the midst I 

s 



258 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


placed. In Sipara, Nipur, Babil (Babylon), Borsippa, 
Kutha, Kis, Chilmad, and Ur, cities unrivalled, 

12. valuable sacrifices and libations to Bel and 
Zirubanit, Nebo and Urmitu, Nergal and taz, the 
great gods my lords I poured out, and they strength¬ 
ened my feet. The whole of Gan-dunias (Babylonia) 
to its utmost extent I possess, and 

13. I rule its kingdom. The Puqudu (Pekod) like 
corn I swept away, their fighting men I slew, their 
abundant spoil I carried off. The Puqudu in the cities 
of Lahiru of Idibirina, Hilimmu, and 

14. Pillutu, which border on Elam, to the boun¬ 
daries of Assyria I added, and in the hands of my 
general the prefect of Arapha I placed them. The 
Kaldudu all there were I removed, and 

15. in the midst of Assyria I placed them. Chaldea 
through its extent in hostility I swept. Nabu-usabsi, 
son of Silani, his fighting men on the walls of Sarra- 
pani his city I slew, 

16. and in front of the great gate of his city on a 
cross I raised him; I subdued his country, Sarrapanu 
to a heap of earth I reduced ... I captured 5,500 
of their people and children, 

17. his spoil, his furniture, his goods, his wife, his 
sons, his daughters, and his gods, I carried off. That 
city and the cities round it, I pulled down, destroyed, 
in the fire I burned, and to mounds and ruins I re¬ 
duced. 

18. The cities of Tarbazu and Yapallu, I captured, 
30,000 of their people and children, their furniture, 


TIGLATH PILESER II. 


259 


their goods, and their gods, I carried off. Those cities 
and the cities round them, 

19. like a whirlwind I destroyed. Zaqiru son of 
Sahalli against the agreement of the great gods sinned, 
and with them set his face. Him and his great men 
in hand I took, 

20. in bonds of iron I placed them, and to Assyria 
I brought. The people of Bit-sahalli feared and the 
tower .... them, for their stronghold they took. 

21. That city by siege and famine I took and threw 
to the ground, 5,400 of their people and children, 
their spoil their furniture their goods, his wife, his 
sons, and his daughters, I carried off. 

22. The city of Amlilatu I captured, the people and 
children, its spoil, its furniture, and its goods, I 
carried off. Bit-sahalli through its extent like a 
whirlwind I overspread, and I laid waste its districts. 

23. Those countries to the boundaries of Assyria I 
added. Kinziru son of Amukkan in Sape his capital 
city I besieged him, his numerous fighting men in 
front of his great gate I slew. 

24. The groves of palms which were in front of its 
wall I cut down, I did not leave one, its forests which 
extended over the country I destroyed, his enclosures 
I threw down, and filled up the interiors. All his 
cities 

25. I pulled down, destroyed, and in the fire I 
burned, Bit-Silani, Bit-amukkan, and Bit-sahalli, 
through their extent like a whirlwind I destroyed, 
and to mounds and ruins I reduced. 


260 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


26. The tribute of Balasu son of Dakkuri, and 
Nadini of Larrak (Larancha), silver, gold, and pre¬ 
cious stones, I received. Maruduk-bal-iddina (Mero- 
dach Baladan), son of Yakin, king of the sea coast, 
from which to the kings my fathers, formerly none 
came and kissed their feet; 

27. terrible fear of Assur my lord overwhelmed 
him, and to Sapiya he came, and kissed my feet, gold, 
the dust of his country in abundance, 

28. cups of gold, instruments of gold, precious 
stones, the product of the sea, planks of wood . . 
carried by sailors (?) costly garments, gum, oxen, and 
sheep, his tribute, I received. 

29. The countries of Zimri, Bit-sangibuti, Bit- 
hamban, Sumurzu, Barrua, Bit-zualzas, Bit-matti, 
Niqu of Umliyas, Bit-taranzai, Persia, Bitzatti, 

30. Bit-abdadani, Bit-kipsi, Bit-sangi, Bit-urzikki, 
Bit-sa, Zikruti, Gizinikissi, Nissi, Zibur, Urimzan, Ra- 
husan, 

31. Niparia, Buztuz, Ararami, Burumi-sarri-izzuri, 
Saksukni, Araquettu, Kar-zipra, Gukinnana, Sakbat, 
Silhazi, 

32. which the Babylonians call strong, Ruadi, Bit- 
munnatusqana, and Likra the heap of gold, districts of 
rugged Media, the whole of them in hostility I over¬ 
whelmed, 

33. their numerous fighting men I slew, 60,500 of 
their people and children, horses, asses, mules, oxen, 
and sheep, without number I carried off, 



TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


261 


34. their cities I pulled down, destroyed, burned in 
the fire, and to mounds and ruins reduced, the coun¬ 
tries of Zimri, Bit-sangibuti, Bit-hamban, Sumurzu, 
Bit-barrua Bit-zualzas 

35. Bit-matti, Niqqu of Umliyas, Bit-taranzai, 
Parsua, (Persia), Bit-zatti, Bit-abdadani, Bit-kipsi, 
Bit-sangi, Bit-urzikik, Bit-sa, and 

36. Likruti of rugged Media, to the boundaries of 
Assyria I added, the cities in them anew I built, the 
soldiers of Assur my lord in them I set up, people 
captured by my hands in them I placed, 

37. my generals prefects over them I appointed, 
my royal image in Tikrakki, Bit-sa, Zibur, Ararmi, 
Burumi-sarri-izzuri, and 

38. Silhazi, which the Babylonians call strong, I set 
up. The tribute of Media, Illipa, and all the chiefs 
of the mountains to Bikni, 

39. horses, asses, mules, oxen, and sheep, without 

number I received.the great triumphs 

of Assur my lord, which were accomplished in all 
these countries he heard, and 

40. the glory of Assur my lord overwhelmed him, 
and to Dur-tigulti-pal-esir the city which [I had built] 
.... to my presence he came, and kissed my feet, 

41. Horses, asses, oxen, and sheep, instruments 
.his tribute I received, 

42. My general Assurdainani to rugged Media of 
the rising sun I sent, 5,000 horses, people, oxen, and 
sheep, without number he brought, 





262 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


43. Ulluba, Kirhu, the whole of it I took, and to 
the boundaries of Assyria I added, an image of my 
majesty in the mountains of Limirra I set up, in the 
midst of Ullubi a city I built, 

44. a palace my royal seat in the midst I placed, 
the soldiers of Assur my lord in it I set up, people 
captured by my hands in it I placed, my general pre¬ 
fect over it I appointed. 

45. Saraduarri of Ararat, Sulumal of Milid, Tar- 

hulara of Gamguna. 


46 .Kustaspi of Kumuha, to take spoil . . . 

47 .near Kistan and Halpi districts of Ku¬ 

muha .... 

48 .the river Sinzi the river like .... 

49 .I captured them in the midst of the 

fighting .... 

50 .royal images .... 

[Many lines lost here.] 

51 .place .... 

52. her tribute to my presence she brought, a guar¬ 


dian over her I appointed, and the men of .... I 
subdued to my yoke. 


53. The tribes of Maza, Tema, Saba (Sabeans), 
Hiappa, Badana, Hatte, Idabahil, . . . . at the 
boundaries 

54. of the setting sun, who knew no rivals, whose 

place was remote, the might of my dominion. 

they heard, and submitted to my dominion. 












TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


263 


55. Gold, silver, camels, she camels, and gum, their 
tribute at once to my presence they brought, and 
kissed my feet. 

56. Idibihil to the governorship over against Muzri 
(Egypt) I appointed. In all those countries which 
.... of Assur in the midst I appointed. 

57. The tribute of Kustaspi of Kumuha, Urik of 
Qua, Sibittibihil of Gubal, Pisiris of Gargamis 
(Carchemesh), 

58. Eniil of Hamath, Panammu of Samhala, Tar- 
hulara of Gauguma, Sulumal of Milid, Dadilu of Kaska, 

59. Vassurmi of Tubal, Ushitti of Tuna, Urpalla of 
Tuhana, Tuhammi of Istunda, Urimmi of Husinna, 

60. Mattanbahil of Arvad, Sanipu of Bit-ammana 
(Ammon), Salamanu of Moab .... 

61. Metinti of Askelon, Yauhazi of Judah, Qavus- 
malaka of Edom, Muz .... 

62. Hanun of Gaza, gold, silver, lead, iron, anti¬ 
mony, clothing the clothing of their country, lapis- 
lazuli (?)... 

63. . . . produce of the sea and land, taken from 
their country, selected for my kingdom, horses and 
asses trained to the yoke. 

64. Yassurmi of Tubal, in the service of Assyria 

delayed, and to my presence did not come, my general 
the rabshakeh. 

65. Hulli son of an unknown person on his throne 

I seated, 10 talents of gold, 1,000 talents of silver, 2,000 
horses . 






264 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


66. My general the rabshekah to Tyre I sent. Of 
Metenna of Tyre, 150 talents of gold 

67. In cunning ears, attentive and open, which the 
ruler of the gods the prince Nukimmut gave, a palace 
of planks . . . 

68. And my decorated house, like a Syrian palace 
for my glory in the midst of Kahhi (Calah) I built . . . 

69. extent of earth higher than the former palaces 

of my fathers, from the bed of the Tigris I caused to 
raise. 

70. all my people the extent? of its drink failed 
and .... 

71. 20 great cubits the strong foundations against 
the waters, the stone embankments I strengthened, 
like the mass of a mountain I filled .... 

72. their mounds I made, their foundations I fixed, 

I raised their tojDS, ^ gar and § of a cubit . . 

73. On the northern side I raised their gates, in 
ivory ? hard wood ? kakki, palm-tree planks ? [cedar] 
and dapran. 

74. The tribute of the kings of Syria, and princes 
of the Arameans and Chaldeans, whom by the force 
of my might I had subdued to my feet, I placed in 
them. 

75. 5^ gar 4 cubits from the embankment of the 
waters to the division of their boundary I enclosed, 
and beyond the palaces of the world I increased their 
work. 

76. the beams of pine noble, like trees of Easur 




TIG LATH PILESER II. 


265 


wood for . . . good . . . from Lebanon and Amma- 
nana. 

77. I covered over them to last for ever, to appear 
the workmanship . . . beautiful stones, burkullati I 
made, and I adorned the gates. 

78. Doors of cedar planks in pairs closing, fixed at 
their entrances, of wood I made the interiors. 

79. With sibbu zahale and ibbi, I covered, and in 
the gates I hung. Lions and winged lions and bulls, 
of gigantic workmanship, cunning, beautiful, valuable, 

80. near I placed, and for admiration I set up, a 
pavement of paruti stone at their base I laid down, I 
adorned the entrance, 

81. and figures carved in the likeness of the great 
gods around I made, and they inspired reverence. 

82. Coats of karri, gold, silver, and copper to com¬ 
plete them I covered over them, I beautified their 
workmanship. 

83. Lor my royal seat its building I raised, precious 
stones the product of sea ? and land ? I increased 
within it, 

84. the palaces of rejoicing, carrying blessing and 
favour of the king their builder, as their name I gave. 

85. The gates of the director of righteousness, the 
judge of the kings of the four races; receivers of the 
taxes of land and seas, 

86. which cause to enter the production of adnati, 
to the presence of the king their lord, I proclaimed 
the names of their gates. 



266 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


The third text or rather group of texts of the 
annals of Tiglath Pileser is from the stone slabs of 
his palace at Nimroud; it is in very fragmentary con¬ 
dition, and it is very difficult to arrange the fragments 
in their chronological order. 

Annals of Tiglath Pileser from Palace Slabs, 
Nimroud. 

First fragment. — The Babylonian Expedition , b.c. 745. 

1. . . . Kalani? 

2. . . . city of Sippara 

3 .Ruha 

4 .dain 

5 .Birtu in the plain, 

6. and Birtu of Kar-belmatati, the Arameans all of 
them who are beside 

7. the rivers Tigris, Euphrates, and Surappu, 

8. to the midst of the river Ukni .... of the 
Arameans all of them 

9. . . . . 9,000 men . . . thousand 500 oxen . . . 

10. I pulled down, destroyed, and in the fire I 
burned. The tribe of Rahihu .... 

11. the majesty of Assur my lord overwhelmed 

them. 

12. they came and kissed my feet. 

13. The priests of the temples of Saggal, Sidda, 
and Sidlam .... 

14. the offerings of Bel, Nebo and Nergal to my 
presence brought .... 




TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


267 


Second fragment.—Babylonian and Eastern Expeditions , 
b.c. 745-4. 

1.them and to their country they went, 

those cities a second time I built and upon the mound 
of Kamri 

2. which the city of Humur is called, a city I built 
from its foundation to its top I constructed, and I 
finished it. A palace a seat of my royalty 

3. within it I placed, Kar-assur its name I called. 
The soldiers of Assur my lord within it I set up, 
people of countries the conquests of my hand in the 
midst I placed, 

4. taxes I appointed them, and with the men of 
Assyria I placed them. The river Patti .... which 
from days remote had been filled up and 

5 .I excavated, and within it I brought 

refreshing waters .... the cities of Dur-kurigalzu, 
Sipar of Shamas, 

6 .Kisik, the tribes of Nakiri and Tane, the 

cities of Kalain by the river Sumandas, the city of 
Pazitu of the Dunani, Qirbutu 

7 .le, Budu, the cities of Pahhaz and Qin- 

nipur, cities of Kar-duniyas to the midst of the river 
Ukni 

8 .I possess, to the borders of Assyria I 

added, my generals as governors over them I ap¬ 
pointed, and from among their sheep and cattle 

9 .I captured, 240 sheep as an offering to the 




268 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


god Assur my lord I dedicated.those .... 

which I had carried off, 

10. in the government of the tartan, the govern¬ 
ment of the lord of the palace, the government of the 
rab-bitnr, the government of Barhaziya, and the 
government of Mazamua, 

11 .I placed, of one speech I caused them 

to be, and with the men of Assyria I placed them; the 
yoke of Assur my lord like the Assyrians 

12 .filled .... my .... which in the time 

of the kings my fathers had become desert, 

13. a second time I set in order, and the land of 
Assyria again .... 

14. the city I built, a palace the seat of my royalty 

within it I placed. 

15. its name I called, the soldiers of Assur my 

lord within. 

16. with the people of Assyria I placed them. A 
statue of my majesty .... 

17. which by the might of Assur my lord over the 
countries I had .... 

18. 10 talents of gold as a gift, 1,000 talents of 
silver .... 

19. his tribute I received. In my second year 
Assur my lord .... 

20. the countries of Bit-zatti, Bit-abdadani, Bit- 
sangibuti .... 

. 2L of m y expedition saw, and the city of Nikur 
his fortress he abandoned .... 

22. I protected, the city of Nikkur the soldiers . .. 






TIGLATH PILE8ER II. 


269 


23. his horses, his mules, his oxen . . . . 

24. the cities of Sassiyas, Tutasdi . . . 


Third fragment.—Eastern Wars , b.c. 774 ? 

1 .the cities of Kusianas, Harsu, Sanastiku, 

Kiskitara, Harsai, Aiubak 

2 .the mountains of Halihadri, the peaks 

of the mountains they took, after them I pursued, 
their overthrow I accomplished, 

3 .the defiles of the mountains they entered, 

in the fire I burned. The city of Uzhari of Bit-zatti 
I besieged, I captured. Kaki 

4 .city of Kitpattia of Bit-abdadan which 

Tunaku had captured, I besieged, I captured, its spoil 

5. I carried off ... . Nikur and the cities which 
were round it again I built, people the conquest of 
my hand in it I placed, 

6. my general governor over them I appointed. 
The countries of Bit-kapsi, Bit-sangi, Bit-tazzakki 
like corn I swept; their warriors numerous 

7. I slew .... ascended. The rest of their 
soldiers their limbs I cut off, and in the midst of 
their country I left. 

8 .their mules, their oxen, their sheep, and 

their people, without number I carried off. Mitaki 

9 .the city of Urdanika entered. The 

cities of Urdanika and Kitipal I captured, himself, 
his wife, his sons, his daughters, 

10 .those cities and the cities round them 








270 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


I pulled down, destroyed, and in the fire I burned. 
Battanu son of Kapsi 

11 .submitted and took service, to prevent 

my wasting his district. The city Karkarhundir I 
left to him 

12 .I made. Erisaziasu which against 

Bizhadir of Kisira had revolted, I captured, 

13. its spoil I carried off. Bamatiya of Aragi . . . 

14. he quickly fled, and no one saw him .... 

15. horses, oxen, sheep, good Ukni stone of . . . 

16. the great gods my lords I offered. Tuni of 
Sumurza .... 

17. I accomplished. His soldiers to escape as¬ 
cended .... 

18. Sumurza and Bit-hamban to the borders of 
Assyria I added .... 

19. I placed. My general governor over them I 
made .... 

20. to Assur my lord I devoted. The city Ki- 
zanti which in ... . 

21. I pulled down, destroyed, and in the fire I 
burned. The lords of those cities unsubmissive . . . 

22. 300 talents of Ukni stone, 500 talents of ninzu 
of copper .... 

23. the tribute of Mannukizabi of the city of Ab- 
dadan .... 

24. Mikki of Halpi .... I devoted. Of ... . 




TIGLATH PILE SEP II. 


271 


Fourth fragment.—Eastern and Northern Wars , 
b.c. 744-3. 

1.Bit-hamdan, Sumurzu, Bit-barrua, 

2. Bit-zualzas, Bit-matti, and Niqu of Umliyas, 

3. Bit-tarilai, Persia, Bit-kapsi, and the cities of 
Zakruti, Bit-istar 

4. Nissa, Gizinkissi, Zibur, Urinna, 

5. the countries of Sapira, Pustus, Ararmi, Dar- 
sarenihu, 

6. Rua, the mountains to Bit-mun, Uskakka to 
Likraki, Silhazi 

7. the fortress of the Babylonians, to the borders 
of Assyria I added. 

8. My generals governors over them I made, and 
the tribute 

9. of the lords of the Medes all of them to Bikni, I 
received. 

10. My general Assur-dain-ani to the powerful 
Medes 

11. who are at the rising of the sun, I sent. 5,000 
horses, people, oxen, 

12. and sheep without number he brought. Sar- 
duri 

13. of Ararat with me revolted, and with Mati- 
liilu 

14. son of Agusi set his face. In the neighbour¬ 
hood of Kastan and Halpi 

15. districts of Kummuha, his overthrow I struck. 
His people 



272 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


16. and all his camp I captured. The might of 
my servants he feared, and 

17. to save his life on a mare he rode, and went 
off. 

18. To the rugged mountains by night he rode 
and ascended them. Sarduri 

19. of Ararat in the city of Turuspa his city 

20. I besieged him, his numerous warriors in front 
of his great gate 

21. I slew. An image of my majesty I made and 
in front of Turuspa 

22. I raised. For 70 kaspu (about 450 miles) the 
land of Ararat entirely 

23. from top to bottom I destroyed, and marched 
through with no resistance. 

24. The lands of Ulluba, and Kirhu of Nahiri the 
whole of it 

25. I took, to the borders of Assyria I added. 
An image of my majesty 

26. in Kullimmir I set up. In Ulluba 

27. a city I built, Assur-basa its name I called. 
People of countries the conquests of my hand 

28. in the midst I placed. My general governor 
over it I appointed. 

Fifth fragment.—Defeat of Northern Nations , 
b.c. 743 ? 

1 .people the conquest of my hand in it I 

placed .... 



TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


273 


2 .in my .... year, Sarduarri of Ararat 

against me revolted .... 

3 .with Matihil. 

4 . Sulumal of Milid, Tarhulara of Ganguma . . . 

5.Kustaspi of Kummuha, to each other’s 

power they trusted. 

6 . in the glory and might of Assur my lord with 
them I fought, their overthrow I accomplished .... 

7 . their warriors I slew, the clefts and hollows of 
the mountains I filled with them. Their chariots 

8 . their .... without number I carried off. In 

the midst of the fighting Sarduarri rode on his mare 
and escaped. 

9. my hand captured, 72,950 men . . . people .... 

10. Sarduarri to save his life by night rode away, 
and his road was not seen .... 

11 .to the bridge of the Euphrates, the 

boundary of his country I drove him, and a couch 

12 . his royal riding carriage, the seal of his neck, 
the necklace of his neck, his royal chariot .... 

13 .their .... all of it numerous, without 

number, his chariot, his horses his mules .... 

14 .his .... the army without number 

carried off, a great ship, a mace. 

15 .his ... . numerous in the midst of 

his camp, and in the fire I burned. His. 

10 .his couch to Ishtar the queen of 

Nineveh I dedicated. 

T 












274 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


Sixth fragment.—Early Syrian Wars , 
b.c. 743-40. 

Lines 1 to 8 list of conquered cities in the north. 

9. of Ma .... 

10 . over him I appointed. Of Rezon king of 
Syria 

11. 18 talents of gold, 300 talents of silver, 200 

talents of copper. 

12 . 20 talents of simladunu 300 ... I appointed. 
The tribute 

13. of Kustaspi of Kummuha, Rezon of Syria, . . . 
Hirom 

14. of Tyre, Uriakki of Que. 

15. Pisiris of Carchemesh, Tarhulara of Gaugama, 
.gold, silver, lead, 

16. iron, skins of buffaloes, horns of buffaloes, blue 
. . . . black .... clothing of wool and linen, the 
production of their countries, numerous, 

17.instruments and weapons .... in the 

midst of the city of Arpad I received. 

18. Tutamu king of Unqi against my service was 
wicked,' and forfeited his life, 


19 .went with me in strength. 

20 .of Tutamu and his great men 

21 .Kinalia his capital city I captured, peo¬ 


ple and their children 

22 .riding horses in my army like sheep I 

distributed. 







TIG LATH PILESHH II. 


275 


23.in the midst of the palace of Tutamu 

my throne I placed, 

24. 300 talents of silver .... 100 talents . . . . 

25 .clothing of wool and linen, simi, the 

furniture of his palace, 

26 .Kinalia a second time I took, Unqi to 

its utmost extent I conquered, 

27. my general governor over them I appointed. 

Seventh fragment—War with Azariah of Judah , 


about b.c. 739. 

(“ Cuneiform Inscriptions vol. iii. p. 9, Ho. 2.) 

1 .course of my expedition the tribute of 

the kings .... 

2 .Azariah of Judah like a . . . . 

3 .Azariah of Judah in ... . 

4 .without number to high heaven were 

raised .... 

5 .in their eyes which as from heaven . . . 

6 .war and subdue the feet .... 

7 .of the great army of Assyria they heard, 

and their heart feared .... 

8 .their cities I pulled down, destroyed . . . 

9 .to Azariah turned and strengthened him 

and .... 

10 .like an arch .... 

11 .fighting .... 

12 .he closed his camp .... 

13 .were placed and his exit .... 













276 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


14 .he brought down and .... 

15 .his soldiers he drew together to ... . 

16 .made to surround them and .... 

17 .his great . . . like 


Eighth fragment .— War in Syria and the East , 


b.c. 738-7. 

(“ Cuneiform Inscriptions vol. iii. p. 9, No. 3.) 

1 .Judah .... 

2 .of Azariah, my hand greatly cai^tured . . 

3 .right .... tribute like that of . . . . 

4 .to his assistance the city of Ma .... 

5 .the cities of Uznu, Sihanu, Ma.. ka .. bu 


beside the sea, and the cities to Saua 

6. the mountain which is in Lebanon were divided, 
the land of Bahalzephon to Ammana, the land of 
Izku and Saua, the whole of it, the district of Kar- 
rimmon, 

7. Hadrach, the district of Nuqudina, Hazu, and 
the cities of the whole of them, the city of Ara .... 
cities helping them. 

8. the cities of the whole of them the country of 
Sarbua, the mountain the whole of it, the cities of 
Ashani and Yadabi, of Yaraqu the mountain the 
whole of it 

9. the cities of .... ri, Ellitarbi and Zitanu, to 
the midst of the city of Atinni .... Bumami 19 
districts 

10. of Hamath, and the cities which were round 









TIGLATR PURSER II. 


277 


them, which are beside the sea of the setting sun, in 
sin and defiance to Azariah had turned, 

11. to the boundaries of Assyria I added, and my 
generals governors over them I appointed. 30,300 

12 .in their cities and the city of Ku .... 

I caused to take. 1,223 people in the district of 
Ulluba I placed. The tribe of Qura .... 

13 .I took the road. The tribe of Qura 

.... across the river Zab to capture the Aklami- 
akkazi and the Gurumi .... 

14 .she and the Arameans who were beside 

the river, their warriors they slew, their cities they 
captured, and their spoil they carried off ... . 

15. . . . she and the Arameans in great numbers 
came, and a battle they made, and the Arameans his 
helpers they slew .... 

16.to save his life alone he fled, and 

ascended to the city Birtu of Kiniya. The city of 
Saragitu .... 

17. and the cities which were round them they 
took. 12,000 of their people and children, their oxen 
and sheep, Dira .... 

18. to the land of the Hittites, to my presence they 
brought. My general the governor of Lulumi, the 
city of Mulugani .... 


19 .Kuri-dannitu of the people of Babylon 

and the cities which were round them he took, their 
warriors he slew .... 

20 .to the land of the Hittites to my pre- 





278 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


sence they brought. My general the governor of 
Nahiri, the city of Subargillu 

21 .and the cities which were round them 

he took, their spoil he carried off. Siqila the com¬ 
mander of the fortress 

22 .to the land of the Hittites to my pre¬ 

sence he brought. 600 women of the city of Amlate 
of the Damuni, 5,400 women of the city of Dur, 

23. in the city of Kunalia .... cities of Huzarra, 
Tae, Tarmanazi, Kulmadara, Hatarra, Sangillu, 

24. in the country of Unqi I placed .... women 
of Guti, Beth-sangibuti, 1,200 men of the tribe of 
Illil, 6,208 men of the tribes of Nakkap and Buda, 

25 .cities of Zimarra, Arqa, Uznu, and 

Siannu which were beside the sea I placed. 588 men 
of the Buda and Duna 

26 . 250 men of the Bela, 544 men of the 

Banita, 380 men of Sidu-ilu-ziri, 460 men of Sangillu, 

27 .men of the Illil, 457 women of the Quti, 

and Beth-sangibuti, in the district of Tuhimmi I 
placed, 555 

28. women of Quti and Beth-sangibuti, in the city of 
Tul-garimi I placed, with the people of Assyria I joined 
them, and the performing of service like the Assyrians 

29. I placed upon them. The tribute of Kustaspi 
of Ivummuha, Rezon of Syria, Menahem of Samaria, 

30. Hirom of Tyre, Sibitti-bahal of Gebal, Urikki 
of Qui, Pisiris of Carchemesh, Eniel 

31. of Hamath, Panamma of Samhala, Tarhulara 
of Gauguma, Sulumal of Milid, Dadilu 





TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


279 


32. of Kaska, Vassurmi of Tubal, Usliitti of Tuna, 
Urpalla of Tuhana, Tuliammi of Istunda, 

33. Urimmi of Husunna, and Zabibi queen of 
Arabia, gold, silver, lead, iron, skins of buffaloes, 
horns of buffaloes 

34. clothing of wool and linen, violet wool, purple 
wool, strong wood, weapon wood, female slaves? royal 
treasures, the skins of sheep their fleece of 

35. shining purple, birds of the sky, the feathers of 
their wings of shining violet, horses, riding horses, 
oxen and sheep, camels, 

36. she camels and young ones, I received. In my 
9th year Assur my lord protected me, and to the 
countries of Bit-kipsi, Bit-irangi, 

37. Bit-tazakki, Media, Bit-zualzas, Bit-matti, and 
Umliyas I went. The cities of Bit-istar, Kingi-kangi, 
Kindigi-asu, 

38. Kingi-alkasis, Kubushatedis, Ubusu, Ahsi- 
buna, Girgira, Ivimur-bazhatti and the cities 

39. which are round them I captured. Their spoil 
I carried off, I pulled down, destroyed, and in the fire 
I burned. In those days a colossal monument of the 
god Ninip I made, and the glory of Assur my lord 

40. upon it I wrote, and in the district of Baha of 
Bit-istar I set it up. Upas son of Kipsi his people 
gathered to the land of Abiruz. The mountains I 
.ascended, after him 

41. I pursued, his warriors I slew, his spoil I carried 
off. His cities I pulled down, destroyed, and in the 
fire I burned. Usura .... ruta and Burdada 


280 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


42. of Vistakta feared and took to the mountains. 
After them I pursued, their warriors I slew, their 
spoil I carried off. Burdada in hand I captured 

43. their cities I pulled down, destroyed, and in the 
fire I burned. The city of Zibur and the cities which 
were round it I captured, I carried off the spoil. 
Tanus 

44. of ... . 

45 . 

46 .their spoil I carried off ... . 

47. . . . he gathered and to the country of ... , 
Dana the mountain .... 

48. I ascended after them, their warriors I slew, 
their spoil I carried off. Yahu-tarsi .... 

49 .of them who fled to the mountains of 

Amat, a district which is at the top of Rua, the moun¬ 
tain of . . . . 

50. after them I pursued, their warriors I slew, like 
a single one I took them. The country of Kar-zipya 
in ... . 

51. they left. After them I pursued, and in the 
midst of battle like a storm with Yul, I raged over 
them .... 

52. without number I carried off, not one among 
them got away, none got up the mountains, the people 
of Sangibuti .... 

53. which the Babylonians had taken, after them I 
ascended, and their warriors I slew, their spoil I 
carried off ... . 

54. in the fire I burned. Over the country of Sil- 




TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


281 


hazi which the Babylonians call the fortress, I . . . . 

55. of the country of Tel-assur .... noble offer¬ 
ings to the god Merodach of Tel-assur I offered, the 
city of Argu .... 


Ninth fragment.—Northern campaigns. 

(“ Cuneiform Inscriptions vol. iii. p. 10, No. 1.) 

1 .the cities of Hista, Harabisina, Barbaz,, 

and Tasa, to the river Ulurus I captured, their 
warriors I slew. 8,650 people, 

2 . 300 horses, 660 asses, 1,350 oxen and 

19,000 sheep I carried off, I pulled down, destroyed,, 
and in the fire I burned. 

3. And those cities to the borders of Assyria I 
added. Those cities a second time I built, and people 
the conquest of my hand in the midst of them I 
placed, 

4 .in the midst I raised, and to the govern¬ 

ment of Nairi I added. The cities of Daikangar, 
Sakka, Ippa, Elisansa, 

5 .Lugadangar, Quda, Elugia, Dania, Dan- 

ziun, Ulai, Luqia, Abrania, Evasa, 

6 .their warriors I slew, 900 people, 150 

oxen, 1,000 sheep, horses, riding horses, and asses I 
carried off 

7. their cities I pulled down, destroyed, and in 
the fire I burned. The people of Muqan the collect¬ 
ing of my expedition saw, and the city of Ur 

8. which is in the midst of Muqan .... 







282 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


9. their sons, their daughters, their families . . . . 

10. I cut off, and in their country .... 

11. horses, riding horses .... 

12. I pulled down, destroyed, and in the fire I 
burned . . . 

13. I captured I pulled down, destroyed, and in 
the fire I burned .... 

14. I captured, their warriors I slew .... 

Tenth fragment.—Defeat of Ttezon , ling of Damascus. 

(LayarcVs “Inscriptions plate 72.) 

1 .his warriors I captured .... with the 

sword I destroyed 

2 . rusat .... luri .... before him 

3 .the lords of chariots and .... their 

arms I broke and 

4 .their horses I captured . . . his warriors 

carrying bows .... 

5 .bearing shields and spears, in hand I cap¬ 

tured them and their fighting 

3.line of battle. He to save his life fled 

away alone and 

7.like a deer, and into the great gate of his 

city he entered. His generals alive 

8. in hand I captured, and on crosses I raised them. 
His country I subdued. 45 men of his camp 

9 .Damascus his city I besieged, and like a 

caged bird I enclosed him. His forests 

10 .the trees of which were without number, 

I cut down and I did not leave one. 




TIGLATH PILESEB II. 


283 


11 .Hadara the house of the father of Rezon 

of Syria, 

12 .the city of Samalla I besieged, I cap¬ 

tured, 800 people and children of them 

13. .... . their oxen their sheep I carried captive, 
750 women of the city of Kuruzza 

14 .the city Armai, 550 women of the city 

of Mituna I carried captive, 591 cities 

15 .of 16 districts of Syria like a flood I 

swept. 

16 .Samsi queen of Arabia who the oath of 


the sun god had broken, and .... 

Eleventh fragment .— War in Palestine. 


1 . sit ... . ti 

2 . imbaha . . . . 


3. of the city .... 

4. of the city .... districts of Beth-gu .... 

5. of 16 districts of ... . 

6. women of ... . bara, 625 women of the city 
of .... a . . . . 

7. 226 women of the city of ... . 

8. women of the city of . . . hinatuna, 650 women 
of the city of Qana .... 

9. 400 women of the city of ... . atbiti 

10. 656 women of the city of Sasi .... making 

11. 13,520 women of ... . 

12. and their children .... the cities of Aruma 
and Marum .... 

13. the rugged mountains .... 









284 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


14. Metinti of Azkelon in my service was wicked, 
and 

15. with me revolted .... the defeat of Rezon 

16. he saw, and in striking .... 

17. his own fear overcame him, and .... he died ? 

18. Rukiptu his son sat in his throne, to ... . 

19. he raised and prayed ? 500 .... 

20. and to his city he entered. 15 cities .... 

21. Idibihilu the Arabian .... 

Twelfth fragment .— War in Palestine and Arabia. 

(“Cuneiform Inscriptions yol. lii. p. 10, JN’o. 2.) 


1 .the city of Hadrach to the land of Saua 

2 .the cities of Zimirra, Arqa, and Zimarra 

3 .the cities of Uznu, Sihanu, Rihisuza 

4 .the cities beside the upper sea I possessed 


6 of my generals 

5. as governors over them I appointed .... asbuna 
which is beside the upper sea 

6. the cities .... niti, Galhi .... abil .... 
which is the boundary of the land of Beth Omri 

7 .li wide the whole of it to the borders of 

Assyria I joined, 

8. my generals governors over them I appointed. 
Hanun of Gaza 

9. who before the face of my soldiers fled, and to 
Egypt g ot away; Gaza 

10. I captured ... his furniture, his gods .... 
and my royal couch 





TIGLATE PILESEB II. 


285 


11 .within his palace .... their gods I 

distributed and 

12 .I fixed them.him like a bird 

13 .to his place I restored him 

14 .g°ld, silver, clothing of wool and 

linen 

15 .great .... I received. The land of 

Beth Omri 

16 . illut, the tribe .... the goods of its 


people 

17. and their furniture to Assyria I sent. Pekah 
their king .... and Ho shea 

18. to the kingdom over them I appointed . . . . 
their tribute of them I received, and 

19. to Assyria I sent. Samsi queen of Arabia . . . . 


20 .slew, . . . people, 30,000 camels, 

20,000 oxen 

21 . 5000 simi . . . the country her gods 

22 .her goods I captured. She to save her 

life 


23.bazil an arid place like an ass of the 

desert 

Thirteenth fragment .— War in Palestine and Arabia , 


b.c. 734-2. 

(LcmjarcTs “ Inscriptions” p. 66.) 

1 .the city .... 

2 .to the city Ezasi 

3 .Samsi queen of Arabia in the country of 

Saba 













286 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


4.the people who were in the midst of her 

camp, 

5. the might of my powerful soldiers overwhelmed 
her, and 

6. camels and she camels .... her present to my 
presence she sent. 

7. A governor over her I appointed, and the people 
of 

8. Saba to my yoke I subdued. The cities of 

9. Mazha and Tema, of the Sabeans, Hyappa, 

10. Badana, and Ilatte, of the Idibihilites, 

11.who are at the boundary of the 

lands of the setting sun (the west) 

12. who have no rivals, and their country is re¬ 
mote ; the renown of my dominion and account 

13. of my victories they heard, and submitted to 
my dominion. Gold, silver, camels, 

14. she camels, and simi, their tribute at once to 
my presence 

15. they brought, and kissed my feet, 


16 .Idibihil to the governorship over the 

land of Egypt I appointed, 

17 .whom in my former campaigns all their 

cities I had reduced, 

1 8 .his helpers, Samaria alone I left. Pekah 


their king .... 

In spite of the deplorable state in which the annals 
of this king still remain, the fragments of these records 
are of the highest interest, the names of Azaiah and 
Jehoahaz (Ahaz) kings of Judah, of Menahem, Pekah, 






TIGLATH PILE SE B II. 


28 7 


and Hoshea kings of Israel, of Rezon of Damascus, 
and Hiram of Tyre, show at once their important 
connection with the book of Kings, while sufficient 
remains of the later campaigns to confirm the Bib¬ 
lical account of Tiglath Pileser’s campaign into Syria, 
to assist Ahaz king of Judah. The defeat of Rezon 
king of Syria and the siege of Damascus are described 
in the tenth fragment; the conquest of the Philistines 
is given in the eleventh and twelfth fragments; the 
spoiling of Israel, death of Pekah king of Samaria, 
and accession of Hoshea, are given in the twelfth and 
thirteenth fragments; and the general submission 
of Syria and Palestine is given in the historical 
tablet, “ Cuneiform Inscriptions,” vol. ii. p. 67, lines 
57 to 63. The details of these and many other 
events show the value of these annals. Further and 
systematic excavations at Nimroud would complete 
these, and so give us invaluable assistance in the 
study of Jewish history. 




Chapter XV. 

INSCRIPTION'S OF SARGON, 
b. c. 722 to 705. 

Historical cylinder.— Median chiefs.—War with Ashdod.— 
Azuri.—Ahimiti.—Yavan.—Revolt.—Turning watercourses.— 
Judah.—Edom.—Moab.—Embassy to Pharaoh.—Egypt’s weak¬ 
ness.—Advance of Sargon.—Flight of Yavan.—Seal of Sargon. 

HE principal inscriptions of Sargon which 
I discovered are some fragments of an 
octagonal cylinder, containing a long 
text of the history of this reign and some 
dated monuments. The cylinder is full of matter 
valuable to the historian; but being very mutilated, I 
only here give two extracts,one a list of Median chiefs, 
the other an important campaign, namely, that 
against Ashdod, which I have restored in two places 
by comparison with Botta’s Inscriptions. 

The list of Median chiefs belongs to the year 
b.c. 713, and is curious as showing the divided state 
•of Media at that time. These chiefs are :_ 

1. Pharnes chief of Sikrana, 

2. Ziturna chief of Musana, 






INSCRIPTIONS OF SABGON . 


289 : 


3. Uppamma chief of Katalina, 

4. Vasdakku chief of Amakki, 

5. Istesuki chief of Isteuppu, 

6. Yarzan chief of Vaqutti, 

7. Aspabara chief of Kakkam, 

8. Sataresu and Qururasu, 

9. chiefs of Tabari, 

10. and Luhbarri, rugged regions, 

11. Satarparnu chief of Ubburia, 

12. Parkuttu chief of Sidirpattianu, 

13. Ariya chief of Bustu, 

14. Yusra chief of Tutunenu, 

15. Yastakku chief of Amista, 

16. Hardukka chief of Harzianu, 

17. Isteliku and Avariparnu, 

18. chiefs of Kattanu, 

19. Arbaku chief of Arnasia, 

20. Karuti chief of Turzinu, 


21. . . . panu chief of Barkanu, 

22 .chief of Zazaknu, 

23 .of Garkasia, 

24 .of Partakanu. 


On the next column this cylinder gives the war 
against Ashdod. 

Account of the expedition of Sargon against Ashdod 
from the same cylinder completed from Khorsabad 
texts. 

1. In my ninth expedition to the land beside 

2. the great sea, to Philistia and 

u 




290 


INSCRIPTIONS OF SARGON. 


3. Ashdod I went. 

4. Azuri king of Ashdod not to bring tribute, 

5. his heart hardened, and to the kings round him 

6. enemies of Assyria he sent, and did evil. 

7. Over the people round him his dominion I 
broke, 

8. and carried off ... . 

9. From that time 

10. Ahimiti son of ... . 

11. his brother before his face over his kingdom 

12. I raised and appointed him. 

13. Taxes and tribute to Assyria 

14. like that of the kings round him 

15. over him I appointed. But the people 

16. evil, not to bring taxes and tribute 

17. their heart hardened and .... 

18. their king they revolted against 

19. and for the good he had done 

20. they drove him away and .... 

21. Yavan not heir to the throne, 

22. to the kingdom over them they appointed. In 
the throne 

23. of their lord they seated him, 

24. and their cities they prepared 

25. to make war .... 

26. the dominion .... 

27. against capture they fortified 

28. its ... . they faced .... 

29. and around it a ditch they excavated. 

30. Twenty cubits (34 feet) in its depth they 
made it, 


INSCRIPTIONS OF SARGON . 291 

31. and they brought the waters of the springs in 
front of the city. 

32. The people of Philistia, Judah, Edom, 

33. and Moab, dwelling beside the sea bringing 
tribute 

34. and presents to Assur my lord, 

35. were speaking treason. The people and their 
evil chiefs, 

36. to fight against me unto Pharaoh 

37. the king of Egypt, a monarch who could not 
save them, 

38. their presents carried and besought his 

39. alliance. I Sargon the noble prince 

40. revering the oath of Assur and Merodach, 
guarding 

41. the honour of Assur; the rivers Tigris and 
Euphrates 

42. in their full flood my warriors of my guard 

43. entirely I passed over. And he Yavan 

44. their king, who in his own might 

45. trusted, and did not submit to my dominion; 

46. Of the advance of my expedition to the land of 
the Hittites heard, and 

47. the majesty of Assur my lord overwhelmed 
him, and 

48. to the border of Egypt, the shore of the river 

49. at the boundary of Meroe .... under the 
waters 

50 .he took part 

51 .a place remote 



292 


INSCRIPTIONS OF SARGON. 


52.he fled away 

53. and his hiding-place was not discovered. The 
cities of Ashdod and 

[Continued from Botta] 

54. Gimzo of the Ashdodites 

55. I besieged and captured. His gods, his wife, 
his sons, and his daughters, 

56. his furniture, and goods, and the treasures of 
his palace, with the people of his country 

57. as a spoil I counted, and those cities a second 
time 

58. I built. People the conquests of my hands 

59. from the midst of the countries of the rising 
sun, within them I seated; and with the people of 
Assyria I placed them, and they performed my 
pleasure. 

This expedition against Ashdod took place B.c. 711, 
during the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah, and it 
is mentioned in the twentieth chapter of Isaiah, which 
is dated, verse 1, u In the year that Tartan came 
unto Ashdod (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent 
him), and fought against Ashdod and took it.” 
Isaiah in this chapter denounces the conduct of 
Egypt, and the way in which he speaks of the Egyp¬ 
tians and Ethiopians in this and other chapters is 
remarkably verified by the account given by Sargon 
of his campaign against Ashdod. Egypt is described 
in the annals of Sargon as a weak power always 
stirring up revolts against Assyria, and unable to 
help or shield the revolters when the Assyrians at- 


INSCRIPTIONS OF SARGON. 


293 


tacked them. In those days Egypt was truly a broken 
reed. The account Sargon gives of the turning of 
the fountains and watercourses to protect the city of 
Ashdod strikingly parallels the similar preparations 
of Hezekiah when he expected an Assyrian invasion, 
Chronicles II. chap, xxxii. v. 3 and 4, and it is a 
curious fact that Hezekiah was reigning at this time, 
and his preparations were made according to the 
ordinary chronology b.c. 713, only two years before 
this invasion of Sargon. 

It is also remarkable that the new text of this 
war gives it as happening in the ninth year of the 
monarch’s reign, whereas the other records of Sargon 
state that it took place in the eleventh year. This 
makes a variation of two years as to the accession of 
Sargon, the one copy leading to the date b.c. 722, 
while the other favours b.c. 720. Shalmaneser, the 
predecessor of Sargon, had died b. c. 722, but it is 
possible that some heir to the throne may have stood 
in the way of Sargon during the first two years of 
his rule. 

Among the other new inscriptions of Sargon is a 
curious inscribed seal, the device on which has the 
usual royal emblem of the king stabbing a rampant 
lion. The inscription round the seal reads:—Which 
Sargon king of Assyria gave to the governor of 
Irimuni, month Tebet, 25th day, eponymy of Taggil- 
ana-bel. 

The date of this document was b.c. 715. Some 
other new and curious texts are on dated tablets, one 


294 


INSCRIPTIONS OF SARGON. 


of which leads to the conclusion that the district 
which the Assyrians called Mazamua (near the Baby¬ 
lonian frontier) was the Lulumu of the earlier in¬ 
scriptions. 




Chapter XYI. 

INSCRIPTIONS OP SENNACHERIB. 

b. c. 705 to 681. 

Cylinder C.—Intermediate record.—Titles.—War with Me- 
rodach Baladan.—Conquest of Babylonia.—Conquest of Kassi. 

_Ellipi.—War in Palestine.—Elulias of Zidon.—Zidga of 

Askelon.—Revolt of Ekron.—Battle with Egyptians.— Hezekiah. 
—Siege of Jerusalem.—Submission and tribute.—Second Baby¬ 
lonian war.—Letter from governor. 

HE two expeditions to Assyria brought 
to light a considerable number of texts 
and fragments to complete texts of the 
reign of Sennacherib. Of these I shall 
choose two for notice; one a cylinder which I have 
named Cylinder C, the other a despatch from a local 
governor to the Assyrian monarch. Some fragments 
of Cylinder C were already in the British Museum, 
and I published a notice of them in my “Chronology 
of the reign of Sennacherib,” London, 1871. In my 
excavations at the palace of Sennacherib I have dis¬ 
covered much larger portions of this text, which I 
am now able to entirely restore. This cylinder is in 
fact an octagonal prism, the text is very similar to 






296 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


that of the Taylor cylinder, and its value consists in 
the fact that it is intermediate in date between the 
Bellino and Taylor cylinders. The Bellino cylinder 
contains the records of two wars, and is dated in the 
eponymy of Nebu-liha governor of Arbela, b.c. 702, 
and the Taylor cylinder contains the records of eight 
wars, being dated in the eponymy of Bel-emur-ani, 
governor of Carchemesh, b.c. 691. Cylinder C has 
the records of four wars, two more than the Bellino, 
and four less than the Taylor, and it is dated in the 
.eponymy of Nabu-dur-uzur governor of Dihnun, 
b.c. 697, five years later than the Bellino, and six 
years earlier than the Taylor text. I have here 
translated the historical portion of the cylinder on 
the first five faces of the document. 

Column I. 

1. Sennacherib the great king, 

2. the powerful king, king of Assyria, 

3. king of the four regions, 

4. the appointed ruler, 

5. worshipper of the great gods, 

6. guardian of right, lover of justice, 

7. maker of peace, 

8. going the right way, 

9. preserver of good. The powerful prince, 

10. the warlike hero, leader among kings, 

11. giant devouring the enemy 

12. breaker of bonds. 


SENNACHERIB. ’ 


297 


13. Assur the great mountain an empire un¬ 
equalled, 

14. has committed to me, and 

15. over all who dwell in palaces has exalted my 
servants. 

16. From the upper sea of the setting sun, 

17. to the lower sea of the rising sun, 

18. all the dark races he has subdued to my feet. 

19. and stubborn kings avoided war, 

20. their countries abandoned and like Sudinni 
birds 

21.fled to desert places. 


22. In my first expedition, of Merodach Baladan 

23. king of Karduniyas, with the army of Elam 
his helpers, 

24. in the vicinity of Kisu, I accomplished his 
overthrow. 

25. In the midst of that battle he abandoned his 
camp, 

26. alone he fled, and his life he saved. 

27. Chariots, horses, carriages, and mules, 

28. which in the midst of the fight he had aban¬ 
doned, my hand captured. 

29. Into his palace which is in Babylon, joyfully 
I entered and 

30. I opened also his treasure house; gold, silver, 

31. instruments of gold, silver, precious stones, 
everything, 




298 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


32. furniture, and goods without number, abun¬ 
dant, his consort, the eunuchs of his palace, 

33. the great men, those who stand in the pre¬ 
sence, male musicians, female musicians, 

34. the whole of the people, all there were, 

35. living in his palace, I brought out, and 

36. as spoil I counted. By the might of Assur 
my lord, 

37. 75 of his strong cities, fortresses of Chaldea, 

38. and 420 small cities which were round them, 

39. I besieged, I captured, I carried off their 
spoil. 

40. The Urbi, Arameans, and Chaldeans, 

41. who were within Erech, Nipur, Ivisu, 

42. Harriskalama, Cutha, and Sippara, 

43. with the sons of the rebel cities, 

44. I brought out and as spoil I counted. 

• 45. On my return the Tuhumuna, 

46. Rihihu, Yadaqqu, 

47. Ubudu, Kipre, 

48. Malahu, Gurumu, 

49. Ubulu, Damunu, 

50. Gambulu, Hindaru, 

51. Ruhua, Pekod, 

52. Hamranu, Hagarenes, 

53. Nabateans, Lihitau, 

54. and Arameans, not submissive, forcibly 

55. I captured. 208,000 people, small and great, 
male and female, 

56. horses, mules, asses, 


SENNACHERIB. 


299 


57. camels, oxen, and sheep, 

58. which were without number, a great spoil 

59. I carried off to the midst of Assyria. 

60. In the course of my expedition, of Nabu-bel- 
zikri 

61. governor of Hararati, gold, silver, 

62. great palms, asses, camels, oxen, 

Column II. 

1. and sheep, his great present, 

2. I received. The people of Hirimmi, obstinate 
rebels, 

3. with the sword I destroyed, and one I did not 
leave. Their corpses 

4. in the dust I threw down, and the whole 

5. of that city I quieted. That district 

6. a second time 

7. I took; 1 ox, 10 sheep, 10 omers of wine, 

8. and 20 omers of first fruits, 

9. to the gods of Assyria 

10. my lords, I appointed for ever. 


11. In my second expedition, Assur my lord pro¬ 
tected me, and 

12. to Kassi and Yasubigalla 

13. who from of old to the kings my fathers 

14. were not submissive, I went. In the vast 
forests 

15. and rugged ground, on a horse I rode; 



300 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


16. my chariots and foot soldiers in waggons I 
caused to carry; 

17. difficult places on my feet like a bull I pressed 
into. 

18. Bit-kilamzah, Hardispi, and Bit-kubatti, 

19. their cities, strong fortresses, I besieged, I 
captured. 

20. People, horses, mules, asses, 

21. oxen, and sheep, from the midst of them 

22. I brought out, and as spoil I counted, and 
their small cities 

23. which were without number, I pulled down, 
destroyed, and reduced to heaps. 

24. The tents, the pavilions, their dwellings, in 
the fire I burned and 

25. to ruins I brought. The city of Kilamzah, 

26. that for a fortress I took, more than in former 
days 

27. its walls 1 strengthened, and people of coun¬ 
tries 

28. conquered by my hand in the midst I placed. 

29. The people of Kassi and Yasubigalla 

30. who from the face of my soldiers fled, 

31. from the midst of the mountains I brought 
down, and 

32. into Hardispi and Bit-kubatti I drove, 

33. to the hand of my general the governor of 
Arrapha 

34. I appointed them. A tablet I caused to make, 
and 


SENNACHERIB. 


301 


35. the glory acquired by my hand, which over 
them 

36. I had gained, upon it I caused to write, and 

37. in the midst of the city I set up. The front 
of my feet 

38. I turned, and to Ellipi I took the road. 

39. Before me Izpabara their king his strong cities 

40. his treasure house he abandoned, and to a dis¬ 
tance 

41. he fled. The whole of his wide country like a 
hailstorm I swept. 

42. Marubisti and Akkad, cities 

43. the house of his kingdom with 34 small cities 
which were round them, 

44. I besieged, I captured, I pulled down, I de¬ 
stroyed, in the fire I burned. 

45. People small and great, male and female, 
horses, 

46. mules, asses, camels, 

47. oxen, and sheep, without number 

48. I carried off, and until none were left 

49. I caused it to be, and I reduced his country. 

50. The cities of Zizirtu and Kummahlu 

51. strong cities, with the small cities 

52. which were round them, Bit-barru 

53. the district the whole of it, 

54. from the midst of his country I detached, and 
to the boundaries 

55. of Assyria I added. Elinzas 

56. for a royal city and fortress, that district 


302 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


57. I took, and its former name I abolished, and 

58. Kar-sennacherib I called its name. 

59. People of countries conquered by my hand, 

60. in the midst I placed, in the hand of my 
general 

61. the governor of Harhar I appointed. 

62. On my return, 

63. of the Medes remote, 

64. of whom among the kings my fathers, 

65. anyone had not heard the fame of their country, 

66. their great tribute I received; 

67. to the yoke of my dominion I subjected them. 

Column III. 

1. In my third expedition to the land of the 
Hittites I went. 

2. Elulias king of Zidon, 

3. fear of the might of my dominion overwhelmed 
him, and 

4. to a distance in the midst of the sea, 

5. he fled, and his country I took. 

6. Great Zidon, 

7. Lesser Zidon, 

8. Bit-sette, Zarephath, 

9. Mahalliba, Hosah, 

10. Achzib, and Accho, 

11. his strong cities, fortresses, walled 

12. and enclosed, his castles; the might of the 
soldiers 


SENNACHERIB. 


303 


13. of Assur my lord overwhelmed them, and 
they submitted 

14. to my feet. Tubahal in the throne of the 
kingdom 

15. over them I seated, and taxes and tribute to 
my dominion 

16. yearly, unceasing, I fixed upon him. 

17. Of Menahem of Samaria, 

18. Tubahal of Zidon, 

19. Abdilihiti of Arvad, 

20. Urumelek of Gubal, 

21. Metinti of Ashdod, 

22. Buduil of Beth Ammon, 

23. Kemoshnatbi of Moab, 

24. Airammu of Edom, 

25. kings of the Hittites, all of them of the coast, 

26. the whole, their great presents and furniture, 

27. to my presence they carried, and kissed my feet. 

28. And Zidqa king of Askelon, 

29. who did not submit to my yoke; the gods of 
the house of his father, himself, 

30. his wife, his sons, his daughters, and his 
brothers, the seed of the house of his father, 

31. I removed, and to Assyria I sent him. 

32. Sarludari son of Rukibti their former king, 

33. over the people of Askelon I appointed, 

34. and the gift of taxes due to my dominion, 

35. I fixed on him, and he performed my pleasure. 

36. In the course of my expedition, Beth Dagon, 
Joppa, 


304 INSCRIPTIONS OF 

37. Bene-berak and Azor, 

38. cities of Zidqa, 

39. which to my feet homage did not render, 

40. I besieged, I captured, I carried off their spoil. 

41. The priests, princes, and people of Ekron, 

42. who Padi their king, faithful 

43. and stedfast to Assyria, in bonds of iron 

44. placed and to Hezekiah 

45. king of Judah gave him as an enemy; 

46. for the evil they did their hearts feared. 

47. The kings of Egypt, and the archers, 

48. chariots, and horses, of the king of Meroe, 

49. a force without number gathered and 

50. came to their help. 

51. In the vicinity of Eltekeh, 

52. before me their lines were placed, 

53. and they urged on their soldiers. 

54. In the service of Assur my lord, with them 

55. I fought, and I accomplished their overthrow. 

56. the charioteers and sons of the kings of Egypt, 

57. and the charioteers of the king of Meroe, 

58. alive in the midst of the battle my hand cap¬ 
tured. 

59. Eltekeh and Timnah I besieged, I captured, 

60. I carried off their spoil. To Ekron 

61. I approached; the priests and princes, 

62. who the rebellion had made, with the sword I 
slew, 

63. and in heaps over the whole of the city I threw 
down their bodies. 


SENNACHERIB. 


305 


64. The sons of the city doing this and the revilers 

65. into slavery I gave; the rest of them 

66. not making rebellion and defiance, 

67. who of their section were not, 

Column IV. 

1. their innocence I proclaimed. Padi their king 

2. from the midst of Jerusalem 

3. I brought out and on the throne of dominion 

4. over them I seated, and tribute 

5. to my dominion I fixed upon him. 

6. And Hezekiah of Judah, 

7. who did not submit to my yoke, 

8. 46 of his strong cities, fortresses, and small 
cities 

9. which were round them, which were without 
number, 

10. with the marching of a host and surrounding 
of a multitude, 

11. attack of ranks, force of battering rams, mining 
and missiles, 

12. I besieged, I captured. 200,150 people, small 
and great, male and female, 

13. horses, mules, asses, camels, oxen, 

14. and sheep, which were without number, from 
the midst of them I brought out, and 

15. as spoil I counted. Him like a caged bird 
within Jerusalem 

16. his royal city I had made, towers round him 

x 


306 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


17. I raised, and the exit of the great gate of his 
city I shut and 

18. he was conquered. His cities which I spoiled 
from the midst of his country 

19. I detached, to Metinti king of Ashdod, 

20. Padi king of Ekron, and Zillibel 

21. king of Gaza, I gave, and I reduced his country. 

22. Beside their former taxes, their annual gift 

23. the tribute due to my dominion I added and 

24. fixed upon them. He Hezekiah 

25. fear of the might of my dominion overwhelmed 
him, and 

26. the Urbi and his good soldiers 

27. whom to be preserved within Jerusalem 

28. he had caused to enter, and they inclined 

29. to submission, with 30 talents of gold, 

30. 800 talents of silver, precious carbuncles, 

31. daggasi, great .... stones, 

32. couches of ivory, elevated thrones of ivory, 

33. skins of buffaloes, horns of buffaloes, izdan, 
izku, 

34. everything a great treasure, and 

35. his daughters, the eunuchs of his palace, male 
musicians, and female musicians 

36. to the midst of Nineveh the city of my dominion 

37. after me he sent, and 

38. to give tribute 

39. and make submission, he sent his messenger. 


40. In my fourth expedition Assur my lord 



SENNACHERIB. 


307 


41. protected me, and my army 

42. powerful I gathered and to the land of Bit-yakin 

43. I commanded to go. In the course of my 
expedition, 

44. of Suzub the Chaldean, dwelling within the 
lakes, 

45. in the city of Bit-tut I accomplished his over¬ 
throw. 

46. He the might of my attack 

47. against him found, and his heart was cast down; 

48. like a bird, alone he fled, and his place was 
not seen. 

49. The front of my feet I turned and 

50. to Bit-yakin I took the road. 

51. He Merodach Baladan, of whom in the course 

52. of my former expedition his overthrow I had 
accomplished, and 

53. dispersed his forces; 

54. the march of my powerful soldiers, 

55. and the shock of my fierce attack he avoided, 
and 

56. the gods ruling in his country in their shrines 
he gathered, and 

57. in ships he caused to sail, and 

58. to Nagiti-raqqi which is in the midst of the sea, 

59. like a bird he fled. 

60. His brothers the seed of the house of his father, 

61. whom he had left beside the sea, and the rest 
of the people of his country, 


308 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


Column V. 

1. from Bit-yakin in the lakes and swamps 

2. I brought out and- as spoil I counted. I re¬ 
turned, and his cities I pulled down, 

3. destroyed, and reduced to ruins. Upon his ally 

4. the king of Elam terror I struck. 

5. On my return, Assur-nadin-sum 

6. my eldest son the child of my knees, 

7. on the throne of his dominion I seated, and the 
extent of Sumir and Akkad 

8. I entrusted to him. 

9. Among the spoil of those countries which I 
carried off, 

10. 15,000 bows and 15,000 spears 

11. from the midst of them I selected and 

12. over the body of my kingdom I spread. 

13. The rest of the spoil of the rebels abundant, 

14. to the whole of my camp, my governors, 

15. and the people of my great cities, 

16. like sheep I distributed. 

The remainder of this text describes the neglect 
into which the city of Nineveh had fallen, and the 
works undertaken by Sennacherib to restore it. In 
this labour he used the captives taken in his expedi¬ 
tions, and he gives these as the Chaldeans, Arameans, 
Mannians, people of Que and Cilicia, the Philistines, 
and the Tyrians. 

There is in the new collection a curious despatch 
to Sennacherib from Pahir-bel the governor of Amida 
(Amadiya) the first part of which I have translated. 


/ 


* 










































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I 










































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I 














































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/ 
















SENNACHERIB. 


309 


Despatch from Pahir-bel to Sennacherib . 

1. To the king my lord, thy servant Pahir-bel. 

2. May there be peace to the king my lord, 

3. peace to the country of the king, 

4. peace to the fortresses. 

5. May the heart of the king my lord be well. 

6. Concerning the news of Ararat (Armenia) 

7. the daili I send. 

8. He came here with this, 

9. and told that the governor 

10. of Butunni, and the second in command, 

11. sent him. In the city of Harda 

12. before the officer a watch they kept, 

13. and from city to city, to the city of Turuspa. 

14. Before that thou writest, 

15. and the messenger of Argisti came 

16. also about the matter, the news 

17. I sent to thee; and the matter 

18. also thou didst not decide, and thy horses 

19. which were committed to the messenger, 

20. I sent. 

Amida, the head of the government of Pahir-bel 
was near the Armenian frontier; Butunni, the dis¬ 
trict mentioned, was in the same region, the city of 
Turuspa was near the modern city of Yan, on the 
lake of Yan. It was the capital of Ararat or Armenia, 
a country generally hostile to Assyria. Argisti was 
king of Armenia in the time of Sennacherib. After 


310 INSCRIPTIONS OF SENNACHERIB . 


the murder of Sennacherib by his two sons, they fled 
into the land of Armenia. 

The new collection contains several other docu¬ 
ments of the reign of Sennacherib. 




Chapter XYII. 

INSCRIPTIONS OP ESARHADDON, 
b.c. 681 to 668. 

New texts.—Wars with Tirhakah.—Bahai of Tyre.—March 
through Palestine.—Meroe.—Desert.—-Want of water.—Long 
marches.—Conquest of Egypt.—Wars of Sennacherib.—Suzub. 
—Elamites.—Plunder of temple of Bel.—Babylonian dated 
tablet. 

HERE are several new and important 
texts of Esarhaddon in the new col¬ 
lection. Most of these are not yet 
copied and translated; I have therefore 
only chosen two for my present work, which I have 
joined together, partly from the old collection and 
partly from the new. The first text gives an account 
of the operations of Esarhaddon against Tirhakah 
king of Egypt and Ethiopia, whom he conquered in 
his tenth expedition (about b.c. 672). 

1. That .... a second time I . . . . 

2.I placed. Bihilu .... 

3. Bel-idina in the city of Kullimmir .... 

4. to the borders of Assyria added .... 

5. tribute to my dominion .... 








312 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


6. In my 10th expedition the God .... 

7. I set my face to the country of Magan (and 
Miluhha?) .... 

8. which in the language of the people of Kush 
(Ethiopia) and Muzur (Egypt) are called f . . . 

9. I collected my powerful army which within . . . 

10. In the month Nisan the first month, from my 
city Assur I departed, the rivers Tigris and Euphrates 
in their flood I crossed over, 

11. difficult countries like a bull I passed through. 

12. In the course of my expedition against Bahai 
king of Tyre who to Tirhakah king of Kush his 
country entrusted, and 

13. the yoke of Assur my lord threw off and made 
defiance; 

14. fortresses over against him I built and food and 
drink to save their lives, I cut off. 

15. From the land of Muzur (Egypt) my camp I 
collected, and to the country of Miluhha (Meroe) I 
directed the march, 

16. 30 kaspu of ground (200 miles) from the city 
of Aphek which is at the border of Samaria to the 
city of Baphia, 

17. to the boundary of the stream of Muzur 
(®£yp^)j a place where there was no water, a very 
great desert. 

18. Water from wells in buckets for my army I 
caused to carry. 

19. When the will of Assur my lord into my ears 
entered .... my mind, 


ES ARIIAED 0 N. 


313 


20. The camels of the kings of Arabia all of them 
.... them 

21. 30 kaspu of ground a journey of 15 days in . . . 

I pursued 

22. 4 kaspu of ground with boulder stones .... 

I went 

23. 4 kaspu of ground a journey of 2 days, with 
serpents having two heads .... death and 

24. I trampled on and passed. 4 kaspu of ground 
a journey of 2 days .... burning .... 

25. of winged flies. 4 kaspu of ground a journey 
of 2 days .... full 

26. 15 kaspu of ground a journey of 8 days I pur¬ 
sued .... a journey. 

27. Merodach the great lord to my aid came .... 

28. and saved the lives of my soldiers. 27 days . . . 

29. of the border of Egypt the city of Magan .... 

30. From the city of Makan to ... . 

31. a measure of 20 kaspu of ground I pursued.... • 

32. that ground was like stone .... 

33. like fowl with maces .... 

34. blood and marrow .... 

35. The obstinate enemy to ... . 

36. to the city it swept .... 

This text, unfortunately fragmentary, gives the 
description of Esarhaddon’s campaign, commencing 
with his starting from Assyria; he crossed the Tigris 
and Euphrates, and first attacked the city of Tyre. 
After blockading Tyre, which had joined Tirhakah 
king of Ethiopia against the Assyrian power, Esar- 


314 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


haddon marched from Aphek in the north of Pales¬ 
tine to Raphia on the Egyptian border. Already 
here he felt the want of water; but yet he tried a 
march through the desert to reach Miluhha or Meroe. 
In this journey the Assyrian army suffered severely 
from the nature of the ground travelled over, the 
noxious animals met with, and the want of water. It 
is uncertain if Esarhaddon succeeded in his expedi¬ 
tion against Meroe, the stronghold of Tirhakah; and 
it is probable, at least, that the expedition produced 
no permanent results, and that Esarhaddon had to 
content himself with the possession of Egypt from 
the sea up to Thebes, which he appears to have gained 
in his previous expedition b.c. 673, the expedition in 
b.c. 672 being his second against Tirhakah. 

Among the other new texts of Esarhaddon are 
long descriptions of his father’s wars in Chaldea 
against Suzub, the Chaldean and Umman-minan king 
of Elam, of the plundering of the Babylonian temples 
to satisfy the Elamite allies of the Babylonians, of 
the ruin of Babylon in the time of Sennacherib, and 
of his own restoration of the temples and city. 

The following is a translation of the principal of 
these texts:— 

1. The Chaldean.rebels disregarding 

agreements, 

2. a chief subject to the governor of the city of 
Lahiri, who in the midst of the days of my father 

3. before the face of the advance and attack of 
the Assyrian generals, like a bird had fled and 


ESAttHADDON. 


315 


4. came to misfortune; in revolt and .... to the 
city of Babylon entered and 

5. joined with them. Over them they raised him, 
and the empire of Sumir and Akkad they com¬ 
mitted to him. 

6. To Babylon with many sinners he joined, and 
he Suzub the Chaldean of unknown parentage 

7. the low chief, who possessed no power, to the 
kingdom of Babylon was appointed. 

8. The sons of Babylon who revolt had made, the 
Chaldeans, Arameans, .... Arabuku, fugitives, 

9. who by force and bribes, with them they caused 
to unite, .... and made agreement; 

10. the house of the furniture of the temples of 
Saggal they opened, and silver, gold, and precious 
stones, of the gods Bel and Zirit-banit 

11. and the gifts of furniture and goods they 
brought out, and sent to Umman-minan king of Elam 

12. who knew not wisdom and judgment. An 
agreement with them he made and the present took 
and 

13. made a promise to gather his people, to pre¬ 
pare his camp and assemble his chariots .... 

14. His people he gathered, his chariots and car¬ 
riages he prepared, his horses and mules he fastened 
to his yoke, 

15. The countries of Persia Anzan, Pasiru Ellipu 
(here follows the list of countries subject to Elam 
the people of which came with Umman-minan to 
assist the Babylonians against Sennacherib father of 


316 INSCRIPTIONS OF F SAFE ADDON. 


Esarhaddon. The text in this part is mutilated, but 
the rest of the history is given on the Taylor cylinder, 
“Cuneiform Inscriptions” vol. i. p. 41). 

Esarhaddon proclaimed himself king of Babylon as 
well as Assyria, and the Babylonian contract tablets 
of his time are dated in the years of his reign. I pro¬ 
cured one of these from Babylon, dated u In the city 
of Babylon, month Iyyar, day 22nd, 4th year of Esar¬ 
haddon king of Babylon.” Another tablet I pur¬ 
chased in Hillah is the only known text of the reign 
of Saulmugina, son of Esarhaddon, who succeeded 
his father on the Babylonian throne, b.c. 668; this is 
dated City of Babylon, month .... 29th day, 14th 
year of Saulmugina . . . . . 

Late in his reign, Esarhaddon associated with him¬ 
self on the Assyrian throne his eldest son, Assur- 
banipal, who is mentioned with his father on some 
of the new texts. 





Chapter XVIII. 

INSCRIPTIONS OP ASSURBANIPAL, 
b.c. 668 to 626. 

Greek Sardanapalus. — Library. — Former publication. — 
Egyptian history.— Sabako.—Tirhakah.—Undamane.— Text.— 
Titles.—Campaign against Tirhakah.—Revolt of Egypt.—Death 
of Tirhakah.—Undamane.—Second Egyptian campaign.—Siege 
of Tyre.—Arvad.—Gyges of Lydia.—Psammitichus.—War with 
Minni.—War with Elam.—Revolt of Babylon.—Wars with 
Elam.—Restoration of Uana.—Arabian war.—Armenian em¬ 
bassy.—Restoration of palace.—Restoration of temples.—Brick 
from Babylon. 


SSURBANIPAL, the Sardanapalus o i 
the Greeks, was the greatest and most 
celebrated of Assyrian monarchs. He 
was the principal patron of Assyrian 
literature, and the greater part of the grand library 
at Nineveh was written during his reign. The frag¬ 
ments and texts of Assurbanipal in the new collec¬ 
tion are very numerous. I only select two of these, 
to show the character of these records,—one the 
cylinder containing his history, which I have named 



318 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


Cylinder A, and the other his account of the restora¬ 
tion of the Babylonian temples. 

Cylinder A I have twice published previously,— 
once in my history of Assurbanipal, and a second 
time, with the additions and corrections derived from 
my first journey to Assyria, in the “Records of the 
Past,” vol. i. I have now some important copies of 
this text, giving new information and variant pas¬ 
sages, one remarkable new point being that Sabako 
the Ethiopian king of Egypt is mentioned, and his 
relationship to the other monarchs of this dynasty is 
stated; the result of this information may be shown 
by the following table: 

Sabaku king of Egypt Sister Tirhakah king 

and Ethiopia mar- of Tir- of Egypt and 

ries sister of T. hakah Ethiopia 


their issue 
Undamane king of 
Egypt and Ethiopia, successor 
of Tirhakah 

The cylinder of Assurbanipal is also one of the 
finest Assyrian historical documents, and shows the 
Assyrian view of the politics of that day. 





ASSUBB ANIPAL. 


319 


History of Assurbanipal on Cylinder A {new text , with 
variants from other copies ). 

Column I. 

1. I am Assurbanipal the progeny of Assur and 
Beltis, 

2. son of the great king of Riduti, 

3. whom Assur and Sin lord of crowns from days 
remote 

4. prophesying his name, have raised to the king¬ 
dom; 

5. and in the womb of his mother, have created 
him to rule Assyria. 

6. Shamas, Yul, and Ishtar, in their supreme 
power, 

7. commanded the making of his kingdom. 

8. Esarhaddon king of Assyria the father my 
begetter, 

9. the will of Assur and Beltis the gods his pro¬ 
tectors, praised, 

10. who commanded him to make my kingdom. 

11. In the month Iyyar, the month of Hea lord of 
mankind, 

12. on the 12th day, a fortunate day, the festival 
of Bel; 

13. in performance of the important message which 
Assur, 

14. Beltis, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, Nebo, 

15. Ishtar of Ninevah, Sarrat-kitmuri, 


320 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


16. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 
had spoken, 

17. he gathered the people of Assyria, small and 
great, 

18. and of the upper and lower sea, 

19. to the consecration of my royal sonship; 

20. and afterwards the kingdom of Assyria I 
ruled. 

21. The worship of the great gods I caused to be 
offered to them, 

22. I confirmed the covenants. 

23. With joy and shouting 

24. I entered into Riduti the palace, 

25. the royal property of Sennacherib the grand¬ 
father my begetter, 

26. the son of the great king who ruled the 
kingdom within it, 

27. the place where Esarhaddon the father my 
begetter, 

28. within it grew up and ruled the dominion of 
Assyria. 

29 .and the family increased 

30 . 

31. I Assurbanipal within it preserved 

32. the wisdom of Nebo all the royal tablets, 

33. the whole of the clay tablets all there were, 
their subjects I studied. 

34. I collected arrows, bows, carriages, horses, 

35. chariots, their furniture, and fittings. By the 
will of the great gods 




ASSUBBANIPAL. 


321 


36. who . . . , I proclaimed their laws, 

37. they commanded the making of my kingdom, 

38. the embellishing of their temples they en¬ 
trusted to me, 

39. for me they exalted my dominion, and de¬ 
stroyed my enemies. 

40. The man of war, the delight of Assur and 
Ishtar, 

41. the royal offspring am I. 

42. When Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, Nebo, 
Ishtar of Nineveh, 

43. Sarrat-kitmuri, Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Ner- 
gal, and Nusku, 

44. firmly seated me on the throne of the father 
my begetter, 

45. Yul poured down his rain, Hea feasted his 
people. 

46. fivefold the seed bore in its ear, 

47. the surplus grain was two-thirds, the crops 
were excellent, 

48. the corn abundant, my face was pleased with 
the raising of the harvest, 

49.cattle were good in multiplying, 

50. in my seasons there was plenty, in my years 
famine was ended. 


51. In my first expedition to Makan 

52. and Miluhha I went, Tirhakah king of Egypt 
and Ethiopia, 

53. of whom Esarhaddon king of Assyria, the 


Y 




322 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


father my begetter, his overthrow had accom¬ 
plished, 

54. and had taken possession of his country; he 
Tirhakah 

55. the power of Assur, Ishtar and the great gods 
my lords 

56. despised, and trusted to his own might. 

57. Of the kings and governors, whom in the 
midst of Egypt, 

58. the father my begetter had appointed; to slay, 
plunder, 

59. and to capture Egypt, he came against them. 

60. He entered and sat in Memphis, 

61. the city which the father my begetter had 
taken, and to the boundaries 

62. of Assyria had added. I was going in state 
in the midst of Mneveh, 

63. and one came and repeated this to me. 

64. Over these things 

65. my heart was bitter, and much afflicted. 

66. By command of Assur and the goddess As- 
suritu 

67. I gathered my powerful forces, 

68. which Assur and Ishtar had placed in my 
hands; 

69. to Egypt and Ethiopia I directed the march. 

70. In the course of my expedition, 22 kings 

71. of the side of the sea, and middle of the sea, 

all 

72. tributaries dependent upon me, 


ASSUBBANIPAL. 


823 


73. to my presence came and kissed my feet. 

74. Those kings .... of them, 

75. on sea and land their roads I took, 

76. the level path .... them 

77. for the restoration of the kings and governors, 

78. who in the midst of Egypt were tributaries 
dependent on me; 

79. quickly I descended and went to Karbanit. 

80. Tirhakah king of Egypt and Ethiopia, in the 
midst of Memphis, 

81. of the progress of my expedition heard; and 
to make war, 

82. fighting, and battle, to my presence he gathered 
the men of his army. 

83. In the service of Assur, Ishtar, and the great 
gods my lords, 

84. On the wide battle-field I accomplished the 
overthrow of his army. 

85. Tirhakah in the midst of Memphis, heard of 
the defeat of his army; 

86. the terror of Assur and Ishtar overcame him, 
and 

87. he went forward, fear of my kingdom 

88. overwhelmed him, and his gods glorified me 
before my camp. 

89. Memphis he abandoned, and to save his life 

90. he fled into Thebes. That city I took, 

91. my army I caused to enter and rest in the 
midst of it. 

92. Necho king of Memphis and Sais, 


324 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


93. Sar-ludari king of Pelusium, 

94. Pisan-hor king of Natho, 

95. Paqruru king of Pi-supt, 

96. Pukkunanni-hapi king of Athribis, 

97. Nech-ke king of Henins, 

98. Petubastes king of Tanis, 

99. Unamuna king of Natho, 

100. Horsiesis king of Sebennytus, 

101. Buaiuva king of Mendes, 

102. Sheshonkking of Busiris, 

103. Tnephacbthus king of Bunubu, 

104. Pukkunanni-hapi king of Akhni, 

105. Iptihardesu king of Pi-zattihurunpiku, 

106. Necht-hor-ansini king of Pi-sabdinut, 

107. Bukur-ninip king of Pachnut, 

108. Zikha king of Siyout, 

109. Lamintu king of Chemmis, 

110. Ispimathu king of Abydos, 

111. Munti-mi-anche king of Thebes. 

112. These kings, prefects, and governors, 

113. whom in the midst of Egypt, the father my 
begetter had appointed; 

114. who before the advance of Tirhakah 

115. their appointments had left, and fled to the 
desert, 

116. I restored, and the places of their appoint¬ 
ments 

117. in their possessions, I appointed them. 

118. Egypt and Ethiopia, which the father my 
begetter had captured, 


ASSUHBANIPAL. 


325 


119. again I took, the bonds more than in former 
days 

120. I strengthened, and I made covenants. 

121. With abundant plunder and much spoil 

122. in peace I returned to Nineveh. 

123. Afterwards all those kings whom I had 
appointed, 

124. sinned against me, they did not keep the 
oath of the great gods, 


Column II. 

1. the good I did to them they despised, 

2. and their hearts devised evil. 

3. Seditious words they spoke, and 

4. evil council they counselled among themselves, 

5. thus: “ Tirhakah from the midst of Egypt 

6. is cut off, and to us our seats are numbered.” 

7. Unto Tirhakah king of Ethiopia 

8. to make agreement and alliance 

9. they directed their messengers, 

10. thus: “May an alliance by this treaty be 
established, and 

11. we will help each other. 

12. The country on the other side we will 
strengthen, and 

13. may there not be in this treaty, any other 
lord.” 

14. Against the army of Assyria the force of my 
dominion, 


326 INSCRIPTIONS OF 

15. which to their aid had been raised, they 
devised 

16. a wicked plot. My generals of this plot 

17. heard; their messengers 

18. and their despatches they captured, and saw 

19. their seditious work. These kings 

20. they took, and in bonds of iron and fetters of 
iron, 

21. bound their hands and feet. The oath of 
Assur king of the gods, 

22. took those who sinned 

23. against the great gods, who had sought the 
good of their hands, and 

24. who had given them favours; 

25. and the people of Sais, Mendes, Zoan 

26. and the rest of the cities, all with them re¬ 
volted and 

27. devised an evil design. Small and great with 
the sword they caused to be destroyed, 

28. one they did not leave in the midst. 

29. Their corpses they threw down in the dust, 

30.they destroyed the towers of the cities. 

31. These kings who had devised evil 

32. against the army of Assyria, alive to Nineveh 

33. into my presence they brought. 

34. To Necho .... of them, 

35. favour I granted him, and a covenant .... 

36. observances stronger than before I caused to 
be restored, and with him I sent 

37. costly garments I placed upon him, ornaments 
of gold 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


32 7 


38. his royal image I made for him, bracelets of 
gold I fastened on his limbs, 

39. a steel sword its sheath of gold, 

40. in the glory of my name more than I write, I 
gave him. 

41. Chariots, horses, and mules, 

42. for his royal riding I appointed him, 

43. my generals as governors 

44. to assist him, with him I sent. 

45. The place where the father my begetter, in 
Sais to the kingdom had appointed him, 

46. to his district I restored him, 

47. and Neboshazban his son, in Athribes I ap¬ 
pointed. 

48. Benefits and favours, beyond those of the 
father my begetter, 

49. I caused to restore and gave to him. 

50. Tirhakah from the place fled, 

51. the might of the soldiers of Assur my lord 
overwhelmed him, and 

52. he went to his place of Night (i.e. died). 

53. Afterwards, Undamane son of Sabako 

54. sat on his royal throne. 

55. The cities of Thebes and Hermopolis his for¬ 
tresses he made, 

56. and gathered his forces 

57. to fight the army of the sons of Assyria, 

58. who within Memphis gathered in the midst 
of it. 

59. Those people he besieged and took the whole 
of them, and 


328 


INSGBIPTIONS OF 


60. a swift messenger to Nineveh came and told 
me. 


61. In my second expedition to Egypt and 
Ethiopia 

62. I directed the march. Undamane 

63. of the progress of my expedition heard, and 
that I had crossed over 

64. the borders of Egypt. Memphis he aban¬ 
doned, and 

65. to save his life he fled into Thebes. 

66. The kings, prefects, and governors, whom in 
Egypt I had set up, 

67. to my presence came, and kissed my feet. 

68. After Undamane the road I took, 

69. I went to Thebes the strong city. 

70. The approach of my powerful army he saw, 
and Thebes he abandoned, 

71. and fled to Kipkip. That city (Thebes) 

72. the whole of it, in the service of Assur and 
Ishtar my hands took; 

73. silver, gold, precious stones, the furniture of 
his palace, all there was, 

74. garments of wool and linen, great horses, 

75. people male and female, 

76. two lofty obelisks covered with beautiful carv¬ 
ing, 

77. 2,500 talents ( over 90 tons ) their weight, 
standing before the gate of a temple, 



ASSPRBANIPAL. 


329 


78. from their places I removed and brought to 
Assyria. 

79. The spoil great and unnumbered, I carried off 
from the midst of Thebes. 

80. Over Egypt and Ethiopia, 

81. my soldiers I caused to march, and 

82. I acquired glory. With a full hand 

83. peacefully I returned to Nineveh the city of 
my dominion. 

84. In my third expedition, against Bahai king of 
Tyre, 

85. dwelling in the midst of the sea, I went; who 
my royal will 

86. disregarded, and did not hear the words of 
my lips. 

87. Towers round him I raised, 

88. on sea and land his roads I took, 

89. their spirits I humbled and caused to melt 
away, 

90. to my yoke I made them submissive. 

91. The daughter proceeding from his body, and 
the daughters of his brothers, 

92. for concubines he brought to my presence. 

93. Yahimilek his son, the glory of the country, 
of unsurpassed renown, 

94. at once he sent forward, to make obeisance to 
me. 

95. His daughter and the daughters of his brothers, 

96. with their great dowries I received. 



330 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


97. Favour I granted him, and the son proceeding 
from his body, 

98. I restored and gave him. Yakinlu 

99. King of Arvad, dwelling in the midst of the 
sea, 

100. who to the kings my fathers was not submis¬ 
sive, 

101. submitted to my yoke. His daughter 

102. with many gifts, for a concubine 

103. to Nineveh he brought, and kissed my feet. 

104. Mugallu king of Tubal, who against the kings 
my fathers 

105. made attacks, the daughter proceeding from 
his body, 

106. and her great dowry, for a concubine 

107. to Nineveh he brought, and kissed my feet. 

108. Over Mugallu great horses 

109. an annual tribute I fixed upon him. 

110. Sandasarmi of Cilicia, 

111. who to the kings my fathers did not submit, 

112. and did not perform their pleasure, 

113. the daughter proceeding from his body, with 
many 

114. gifts, for a concubine 

115. to Nineveh he brought, and kissed my feet. 

116. When Yakinlu king of Arvad 

117. had met his death. Azibahal, Abibahal, 

118. Adonibahal, Sapadibahal, Pudibahal, 

119. Bahalyasup, Bahalhanun, 

120. Bahalmaluk, Abimelek and Ahimelek 


ASSTTRBANIPAL. 


831 


121. sons of Yakinlu, dwelling in the midst 

122. of the sea, from the midst of the sea arose, 
and 

123. with their numerous presents 

124. came and kissed my feet. 

125. Azibahal gladly I perceived and 

126. to the kingdom of Arvad appointed. 

127. Abibahal, Adonibahal, Sapadibahal, 

Column III. 

1. Pudibahal, Bahalyasup, Bahalhanon, 

2. Bahalmelek, Abimelek, and Ahimelek 

3. clothing of wool and linen I placed on them, 
bracelets of gold I made and fastened on their limbs, 

4. in my presence .... them. 

5. Gyges king of Lydia 

6. a district which is across the sea, a remote place; 

7. of which the kings my fathers had not heard 
speak of its name; 

8. the account of my grand kingdom in a dream 
was related to him, by Assur the god my creator, 

9. thus : “ The yoke .... 

10. when in remembrance . . . . 

11. the day he saw that dream, 

12. his messenger he sent to pray for my friend¬ 
ship. 

13. That dream which he saw, 

14. by the hand of his envoy he sent, and repeated 
to me. 


332 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


15. From tlie midst of the day when he took the 
yoke of my kingdom, 

16. the Cimmerians wasters of the people of his 
country, 

17. who did not fear my fathers 

18. and me, and did not take the yoke of my king¬ 
dom; he captured. 

19. In the service of Assur and Ishtar the gods 
my lords, 

20. from the midst of the chiefs of the Cimmerians 
whom he had taken, 

21. two chiefs in strong fetters of iron, and bonds 
of iron, 

22. he bound, and with numerous presents 

23. he caused to bring to my presence. 

24. His messengers, whom to pray for my friend¬ 
ship 

25. he was constantly sending, he wilfully discon¬ 
tinued, 

26. as the will of Assur the god my creator, he 
had disregarded; 

27. to his own power he trusted and hardened his 
heart. 

28. His forces to the aid of Psammitichus king of 

Egypt, 

29. who had thrown off the yoke of my dominion, 
he sent; and 

30. I heard of it, and prayed to Assur and Ishtar, 

31. thus: u Before his enemies his corpse may they 
cast, and 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


333 


32. may they carry captive his servants.” When 
thus to Assur 

33. I had prayed, he requited me, before his ene¬ 
mies his corpse 

34. was thrown down, and they carried captive his 
servants. 

35. The Cimmerians whom by the glory of my 
name, he had trodden under him; 

36. came and swept the whole of his country. 
After him his son 

37. sat on his throne. That evil work, at the lift¬ 
ing up of my hands; 

38. the gods my protectors in the time of the 
father his begetter had destroyed. 

39. By the hand of his envoy he sent and took 

40. the yoke of my kingdom, thus: u The king 
whom God has blessed, art thou; 

41. my father from thee departed, and evil was 
done in his time; 

42. I am thy devoted servant; and my people all 
perform thy pleasure.” 

43. In my fourth expedition, I gathered my army; 

44. against Akhsera king of Minni 

45. I directed the march. 

46. By command of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, 
Nebo, 

47. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-Kitmuri, 

48. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

49. into Minni I entered, and marched victoriously. 



334 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


50. His strong cities and smaller ones which were 
without number, 

51. to the midst of Izirtu, I took, 

52. I threw down, destroyed, and in the fire I 
burned. People, horses, 

53. asses, oxen, and sheep, from the midst of those 

54. cities I brought out, and as spoil I counted. 

55. Akhsera of the progress of my expedition 
heard, and 

56. abandoned Izirtu his royal city, 

57. to Istatti his castle he fled, and 

58. took refuge. That district I took, 

59. for fifteen days’ journey I laid waste, and 

60. the highlands I conquered. 

61. Akhsera not fearing my power, 

62. by the mil of Ishtar dwelling in Arbela, who 
from the first had spoken, 

63. thus: “I am the destroyer of Akhsera king 
of Minni, 

64. as I have commanded it, it shall be accom¬ 
plished.” Into the hand of his servants 

65. she delivered him, and the people of his country 
a revolt against him made and 

66. in front of his city his servants threw down and 

67. tore in pieces his corpse. His brothers, his 
relatives, 

68. and the seed of the house of his father, they 
destroyed with the sword. 

69. Afterwards Vaalli his son sat on his throne, 

70. the power of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, 
Nebo, 


ASSUBBANIPAL. 


335 


71. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmnri, 

72. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

73. the great gods my lords, he saw, and submitted 
to my yoke. 

74. To preserve his life his hand he opened, and 
besought 

75. my power. Erisinni his eldest son 

76. to Nineveh he sent, and kissed my feet. 

77. Favour I granted him, and my messenger for 
friendship 

78. I sent to him. The daughter proceeding from 
his body 

79. he sent for a concubine. 

80. The former tribute, which in the time of the 
kings my fathers, 

81. they had broken off, he brought to my presence. 

82. Thirty horses beside the former tribute I 
added and fixed upon him. 


83. In my fifth expedition, to Elam I directed 

84. the march. By the command of Assur, Sin, 
Shamas, Vul, Bel, Nebo, 

85. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

86. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

87. in the month Elul, the month of the king of 
the gods Assur, 

88. the father of the gods the glorious prince; like 
the shock of a terrible storm, 

89. I overwhelmed Elam through its extent. 



336 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


90. I cut off the head of Te-umman, their wicked 
king, 

91. who devised evil. Beyond number I slew his 
soldiers, 

92. alive in hand I captured his fighting men. 

93. their bodies like bows and arrows 

94. filled the vicinity of Shushan. 

95. Their corpses the river Ulai I caused to take, 

96. its waters I made to consume them like chaff.' 

97. Umman-igas son of Urtaki king of Elam, 

98. who from the face of Te-umman to Assyria 

99. fled, and had taken my yoke; 

100. with me I brought him to Elam, and 

101. I seated him on the throne of Te-umman. 

102. Tammaritu his third brother, who with him 

103. fled; in Hidalu I appointed to the kingdom. 

104. Then the servants of Assur and Ishtar over 
Elam 

105. I caused to march, I acquired power 

106. and glory. On my return 

107. against Dunanuthe Gambulian, who to Elam 

108. trusted; I set my face. Sapibel 

109. the fortified city of Gambuli I took; 

110. into that city I entered, its people entirely 

111. I carried off. Dunanu and Samgunu 

112. opposers of the work of my kingdom, 

113. in strong fetters of iron, and bonds of iron, 

114. I bound their hands and feet. The rest of 
the sons of Belbasa, 

115. his kin, the seed of his father’s house, all 
there were, 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


337 


116. Nabonidus and Beledir sons of Nabu-zikir- 
esses 

117. the tigenna, and the servants of the father 
their begetter, 

Column IV. 

1. with the ... . and Tebe, 

2. people of Gambuli, oxen, sheep, asses, 

3. horses, and mules; from the midst of Gambuli 

4. I carried off to Assyria. Sapibel 

5. his fortified city, I pulled down, destroyed, and 
into the waters I turned. 


6. Saulmagina my younger brother, benefits I had 
given to him, and 

7. had appointed him to the kingdom of Babylon 
.... and gave him 


8 .chariots I fixed and 

9 .cities, fields, and plantations. 


10. Tribute and taxes I caused to return, and 
more than the father my begetter, 

11. I did for him. And he these favours 

12. disregarded, and devised evil. 

13. He spoke of good, 

14. but within his heart he was choosing evil. 

15. The sons of Babylon whom in Assyria I bene¬ 
fited, 

16. servants dependent upon me, sinned and 

17. wrong speech they spoke with them 

18. and cunningly to pray for my friendship, 

19. to Nineveh to my presence he sent them. 

z 





338 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


20. I Assurbanipal king of Assyria to whom the 
great gods excellent fame 

21. have renowned, and have created to him right 
and justice; 

22. the sons of Babylon of them in state chairs 

23. I set them up, costly garments 

24. I placed upon them, rings of gold I fastened on 

25. their feet, and the sons of Babylon of them 

26. in Assyria they were set up, they were 
honoured 

27. before the giving of my command. And he 
Saulmugina 

28. my younger brother, who did not keep my 
agreement, 

29. the people of Akkad, Chaldea, Aram, and the 
sea-coast, 

30. from Aqaba to Bab-salimitu, 

31. tributaries dependent on me, he caused to re¬ 
volt against my hand. 

32. And Umman-igas the fugitive who took 

33. the yoke of my kingdom, of whom in Elam 

34. I had appointed him to the kingdom; and the 
kings of Goim, 

35. Syria, and Ethiopia, 

36. which by command of Assur and Beltis my 
hands held; 

37. all of them, he caused to rebel and 

38. with him they set their faces. The great gates 
of Sippara, 

39. Babylon, Borsippa, and Cutha, they raised and 
broke off the brotherhood, 


ASSUBBANIPAL. 


339 


40. and the walls of those cities, his fighting men 

41. he caused to raise. With me they made war 
and 

42. the making of my sacrifices and libations, 
before the presence of Bel son of Bel, 

43. the light of the gods Shamas, the warrior 
Ninip he stopped, and 

44. caused to cease the gifts of my fingers. 

45. To turn away the cities, seats of the great 
gods, of whom their temples 

46. I had restored, adorned with gold and silver, 
and 

47. within them had fixed images; he devised 
evil. 

48. In those days then a seer in the beginning of 
the night slept, and 

49. dreamed a dream, thus : u Concerning the 
matter which Sin was arranging and 

50. of them who against Assurbanipal king of 
Assyria 

51. devised evil; battle is prepared, 

52. violent death I appoint for them. With the 
edge of the sword, 

53. the burning of fire, famine, and the making of 
pestilence, I will destroy 

54. their lives.” This I heard and trusted to the 
will of Sin 

55. my lord. In my sixth expedition I gathered 
my army, 

56. against Saulmugina I directed the march. 


340 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


57. Within Sippara, Babylon, Borsippa, and 
Cutha, 

58. him and part of his fighting men I besieged 
and captured 

59. the whole of them. In town and country 
without number 

60. I accomplished his overthrow. The rest 

61. with the making of pestilence, drought, and 
famine, 

62. passed their lives. Umman-igas king of Elam, 

63. appointed by my hand, who the bribe received 
and came to his aid; 

64. Tammaritu against him revolted, and him 

65. and part of his family he destroyed with the 
sword. 

66. Afterwards Tammaritu, who after Umman- 
igas 

67. sat on the throne of Elam, 

68. did not seek alliance with my kingdom. To 
the help of 

69. Saulmugina my rebellious brother he went, 
and 

70. to fight my army he prepared his soldiers. 

71. In prayer to Assur and Ishtar I prayed; 

72. my supplications they received, and heard the 
words of my lips. 

73. Inda-bigas his servant against him revolted, 
and 

74. in the battle-field accomplished his overthrow. 
Tammaritu king of Elam, 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


341 


75. who over the decapitated head of Te-umman 
untruth had spoken; 

76. which he had cut off in the sight of my army, 

77. thus; “I have not cut off the head of the 
king of Elam 

78.in the assembly of his army.” Again 

he said: 

79. u And Umman-igas only kissed the ground, 

80. in the presence of the envoys of Assurbanipal 
king of Assyria.” 

81. For these matters which he had mocked, 

82. Assur and Ishtar turned from him; and Tam- 
maritu 

83. his brothers, his kin, the seed of his father’s 
house, with 85 princes 

84. going before him, from the face of Inda-bigas 

85. fled, and their bitterness within their hearts 

86. raged, and they came to Nineveh. 

87. Tammaritu my royal feet kissed, and 

88. earth he threw on his hair, standing at my 
footstool. 

89. He to do my service himself set, 

90. for the giving of his sentence, and going to 
his help. 

91. By the command of Assur and Ishtar, he sub¬ 
mitted to my dominion, 

92. in my presence he stood up and glorified 

93. the might of my powerful gods, who went to 
my help. 

94. I Assurbanipal of generous heart, 



342 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


95. of defection the remover, the forgiver of sin; 

96. to Tammaritu favour I granted him, and 

97. himself and part of the seed of his father’s 
house, within my palace 

98. I placed them. In those days the people of 
Akkad 

99. who with Saulmugina were placed and 

100. devised evil, famine took them; 

101. for their food the flesh of their sons and their 
daughters 

102. they did eat, and divided the .... 

103. Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, Nebo 

104. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

105. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

106. who in my presence marched and destroyed 
my enemies; 

107. Saulmugina my rebellious brother, 

108. who made war with me; in the fierce burn¬ 
ing fire 

109. they threw him, and destroyed his life. 

110. And the people who to Saulmugina 

111. my rebellious brother, he had caused to join, 

112. and these evil things did, 

113. who death deserved; their lives 

114. before them being precious: 

115. with Saulmugina their lord 

116. they did not burn in the fire. Before the 
edge of the sword, 

117. dearth, famine, and the burning fire, they 
had fled, and 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


343 


118. taken refuge. The stroke of the great gods 

119. my lords, which was not removed, 

120. overwhelmed them. One did not flee, 

121. a sinner did not escape from my hands, 

122. my hand held them. Powerful war chariots, 

123. covered chariots, his concubines, and 

Column V. 

1. the goods of his palace, they brought to my 
presence. 

2. Those men who the curses of their mouth, 

3. against Assur my god curses uttered; 

4. and against me the prince his worshipper, had 
devised evil: 

5. their tongues I pulled out, their overthrow I 
accomplished. 

6. The rest of the people alive among the stone 
lions and bulls, 

7. which Sennacherib the grandfather my begetter, 
in the midst had thrown ; 

8. again I in that pit, those men 

9. in the midst threw. Their limbs cut off 

10. I caused to be eaten by dogs, bears, eagles, 

11. vultures, birds of heaven, and fishes of the 
deep. 

12. By these things which were done, 

13. I satisfied the hearts of the great gods my 
lords. 

14. The bodies of the men whom the pestilence 
had destroyed, 


344 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


15. and who in drought, and famine, had passed 
their lives; 

16.dogs, bears, 

17. saturi , burnt , .... grew fat. 

18. Their attendants from the midst of Babylon, 

19. Cutha, and Sippara, I brought out 

20. and placed in slavery. 

21. In splendour, the seats of their sanctuaries I 
built, 

22. I raised their glorious towers. 

23. Their gods dishonoured, their goddesses dese¬ 
crated, 

24. I rested in purple and hangings. 

25. Their institutions which they had removed,, 
like in days of old, 

26. in peace I restored and settled. 

27. The rest of the sons of Babylon, Cutha, 

28. and Sippara, who under chastisement, suffering, 

29. and privation had fled; 

30. favour I granted them, the saving of them 
lives I commanded, 

31. in Babylon I seated them. 

32. The people of Akkad, and some of Chaldea, 
Aram, 

33. and the sea coast, whom Saulmugina had 
gathered, 

34. . . . . returned to their own districts. 

35. They revolted against me, and by command 
of Assur and Beltis 

36. and the great gods my protectors, on the 
whole of them I trampled, 



ASSURBANIPAL. 


345 - 


37. the yoke of Assur which they had thrown off r 
I fixed on them; 

38. governors and rulers appointed by my hand,. 

39. I established over them; 

40. The institutions and high ordinances of Assur 
and Beltis, 

41. and the gods of Assyria, I fixed upon them; 

42. taxes and tribute to my dominion, 

43. a yearly sum uncliminished I fixed on them. 


44. In my seventh expedition in the month Sivan 
the month of Sin lord of might, 

45. eldest son and first of Bel: I gathered my 
army, 

46. against Umman-aldas king of Elam I directed 

47. the march. I brought with me Tammaritu 
king of Elam, 

48. who from the face of Inda-bigas his servant 
had fled, and 

49. taken my yoke. The people of Hilmi, Bil- 
lati, 

50. Dummuqu, Sulai, Lahira, and Dibirina, 

51. the force of my fierce attack heard of, as I 
went to Elam. 

52. The terror of Assur and Ishtar my lords, and 
the fear of my kingdom 

53. overwhelmed them. They, their people, their 
oxen, and their sheep, 

54. to do my service to Assyria they struck, and 



346 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


55. took the yoke of my kingdom. Bitimbi the 
former 

56. royal city, the fortress of Elam ; 

57. which like a wall the boundary of Elam 
divided, 

58. which Sennacherib king of Assyria the grand¬ 
father my begetter, 

59. my predecessor, had captured; and he the 
Elamite, 

60. a city in front of Bitimbi, 

61. another had built, and its wall he had streng¬ 
thened, and 

62. had raised its outer wall, Bitimbi 

63. he had proclaimed its name: in the course of 
my expedition I took. 

64. The people dwelling in it, who did not come 
out and did not pray 

65. for alliance with my kingdom, I felled. Their 
heads I cut off, their lips 

66. I tore out, and for the inspection of the people 
of my country, I brought to Assyria. 

67. Imba-appi governor of Bitimbi, 

68. the relative of Umman-aldas king of Elam; 

69. alive from the midst of that city 

70. I brought out, and hand and foot in bonds of 
iron I placed him, and 

71. sent to Assyria. The women of the palace, 
and sons 

72. of Te-umman king of Elam; whom by command 
of Assur, 


ASSURBAKIPAL. 


347 


73. in my former expedition I had cut off his head; 

74. with the rest of the people dwelling in Bitimjpj, 

75. I brought out and as spoil I counted. Uminan- 
aldas king of Elam 

76. of the progress of my army which into Elam 
entered, heard and 

77. Madaktu his royal city he abandoned, and fled, 
and his mountains ascended. 

78. Umbagua who from Elam from a revolt, 

79. to Bubiluhad fled, and against Umman-aldas 

80. had sat on the throne of Elam: like him also 
heard, and 

81. Bubilu the city of his dominion he abandoned, 
and 

82. like the fishes took to the depths of the remote 
waters. 

83. Tammaritu who fled and took my yoke, 

84. into Shushan I caused to enter, I appointed 
him to the kingdom. 

85. The good I had done to him and sent to his 
aid, he rejected and 

86. devised evil to capture my army. 

87. Even he said in his heart thus: u The people 
of Elam 

88. for a spoil have turned in the face of Assyria. 

89. Their . . . has been entered and they have 
carried away 

90. the plunder of Elam.” Assur and Ishtar who 
before me march, 

91. and exalt me over my enemies; 


348 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


92. the heart of Tammaritu, hard and perverse, 
they broke, and 

93. took hold of his hand, from the throne of his 
kingdom 

94. they hurled him, a second time 

95. they subdued him to my yoke. 

96. Concerning these matters, in vexation was my 
heart; 

97. which Tammaritu the younger offended. 

98. In the glory and power of the great gods my 
lords, 

99. within Elam, through its extent I marched 
victoriously. 

100. On my return, peace and submission 

101. to my yoke, I restored to Assyria. 

102. Gatadu, Gataduma, Daeba, 

103. Nadiha, Duramnani, Duramnanima, 

104. Hamanu, Taraqu, Haiusi, 

105. Bittagilbitsu, Bitarrabi, 

106. Bitimbi, Madaktu, Shushan, 

107. Bube, Temaruduksaranni, 

108. Urdalika, Algariga, 

109. Tubu, Tultubu, 

110. Dunsar, Durundasi, Durundasima, 

111. Bubilu, Samunu, Bunaki, 

112. Qabrina, Qabrinama, and Haraba, 

113. their cities I captured, pulled down, destroyed, 

114. in the fire I burned; their gods, their people, 

115. their oxen, their sheep, their furniture, their 
goods, 


ASSTTRBANIPAL. 


349 


116. carriages, horses, mules, 

117. and weapons instruments of war, I carried off 
to Assyria. 


118. In my eighth expedition, by command of 
Assur and Ishtar, 

119. I gathered my army, against Umman-aldas 

120. king of Elam I directed the march. 

121. Bitimbi, which in my former expedition 

122. I had captured, again Rasi, Hamanu, 

123. and that district I captured. And he Umman- 
aldas 

124. king of Elam, of the capture of Rasi and 
Hamanu 

125. heard, and fear of Assur and Ishtar going 
before me 


Column VI. 

1. overwhelmed him, and Madaktu his royal city 

2. he abandoned, and fled to Durundasi. 

3. The river Itite he crossed, and that river 

4. for his stronghold he fixed, and 

5. arranged in ranks to fight me. 

6. Naditu the royal city, and its district I cap¬ 
tured, 

7. Bitbunaki the royal city ditto 

8. Hardapanu the royal city ditto 

9. Tubu the royal city ditto. 

10. Beside all the river, Madaktu the royal city 
ditto, 



350 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


11. Haltemas his royal city I captured, 

12. Shushan his royal city I captured, 

13. Dinsar, Sumuntunas ditto, 

14. Pidilma his royal city, Bubilu ditto, 

15. Kabinak his royal city ditto. 

16. In the service of Assur and Ishtar, I marched 
and went 

17. after Umman-aldas king of Elam, 

18. who did not submit to my yoke. In the course 
of my expedition, 

19. Durundasi his royal city I captured. 

20. My army the Itite in high flood 

21. saw, and feared the crossing. 

22. Ishtar dwelling in Arbela, in the middle of the 
night to my army 

23. a dream sent, and even told them, 

24. thus : u I march in front of Assurbanipal, the 
king 

25. whom my hands made.” Over that vision 

26. my army rejoiced, and the Itite crossed peace¬ 
fully. 

27. Fourteen cities royal seats, and smaller cities 

28. the numbers unknown, and twelve districts 

29. which are in Elam, all of them I took, 

30. I pulled down, destroyed, in the fire I burned, 
and to mounds and heaps I reduced. 

31. Without number I slew their warriors, 

32. with the sword I destroyed his powerful fight¬ 
ing men. 

33. Umman-aldas king of Elam 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


351 


34. in his bitterness fled, and took to the moun¬ 
tains. 

35. Banunu, and the districts of Tasara 

36. all, twenty cities in the districts 

37. of Hunnir, and the boundary of Hidalu, I 
captured. 

38. Balimmu and the cities round it 

39. I pulled down and destroyed. Of the people 
dwelling within them, 

40. their misfortune I caused, I broke up their gods, 

41. I set at liberty the great goddess of the lord 
of lords, 

42. his gods, his goddesses, his furniture, his goods, 
people small and great, 

43. I carried off to Assyria. Sixty kaspu of 
ground, 

44. by the will of Assur and Ishtar, who sent me, 

45. within Elam I entered and marched vic¬ 
toriously. 

46. On my return, when Assur and Ishtar exalted 
me 

47. over my enemies, Shushan the great city, 

48. the seat of their gods, the place of their oracle, 
I captured. 

49. By the will of Assur and Ishtar, into its 
palaces I entered 

50. and sat with rejoicing. I opened also their 
treasure houses 

51. of silver, gold, furniture, and goods, treasured 
within them; 


352 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


52. which the kings of Elam the former, 

53. and the kings who were to these days, 

54. had gathered and made ; which any other 
•enemy 

55. beside me, his hands had not put into them, 

56. I brought out and as spoil I counted. 

57. Silver, gold, furniture, and goods, of Sumir, 
Akkad, 

58. and Ganduniyas, all that the kings of 

59. Elam the former and latter, had carried off 

60. and brought within Elam; bronze hammered, 

61. hard, and pure, precious stones beautiful and 
valuable, 

62. belonging to royalty; which former kings of 
Akkad 

63. and Saulmugina, for their aid had paid 

64. to Elam : garments beautiful belonging to 
royalty, 

65. weapons of war, prepared for one to make 
battle, 

66. suited to his hand, instruments furnishing his 
palaces, 

67. all that within it was placed, with the food 

68. in the midst which he ate and drank, and the 
*couch he reclined on, 

69. powerful war chariots, 

70. of which then’ ornaments were bronze and 
paint, 

71. horses and great mules, 

(2. of which their trappings were gold and silver, 
I carried off to Assyria. 


ASSUBBANIPAL. 


353 


73. The tower of Shushan, which in the lower part 
in marble was laid, 

74. I destroyed. I broke through its top which 
was covered with shining bronze. 

75. Susinaq the god of their oracle, who dwelt in 
the groves; 

76. of whom, anyone had not seen the image of his 
divinity, 

77. Sumudu, Lagomer, Partikira, 

78. Ammankasibar, Uduran, and Sapak; 

79. of whom, the kings of Elam worship their 
divinity. 

80. Ragiba, Sumugursara, Karsa, 

81. Kirsamas, Sudunu, Aipaksina, 

82. Bilala, Panintimri, Silagara, 

83. Napsa, Nabirtu, and Kindakarbu, 

84. these gods and goddesses, with their valuables, 

85. their goods, their furniture, and priests and 

86. worshippers, I carried off to Assyria. 

87. Thirty-two statues of kings, fashioned of silver 
gold, bronze, 

88. and alabaster, from out of Shushan, 

89. Madaktu, and Huradi, 

90. and a statue ofUmman-igas son of Umbadara, 

91. a statue of Istar-nanhundi, a statue of Iialludus 

92. and a statue of Tammaritu the later, 

93. who by command of Assur and Ishtar made 
submission to me, 

94. I brought to Assyria. I broke the winged 
lions 


A A 


354 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


95. and bulls watching over the temple, all there 
were. 

96. I removed the winged bulls attached to the 
gates 

97. of the temples of Elam, until they were not, I 
overturned. 

98. His gods and his goddesses I sent into cap¬ 
tivity, 

99. their forest groves, 

100. which any other had not penetrated into the 
midst of, 

101. had not trodden their outskirts; 

102. my men of war into them entered, 

103. saw their groves, and burned them in the fire. 

104. The high places of their kings, former and 
latter, 

105. not fearing Assur and Ishtar my lords, 

106. opposers of the kings my fathers, 

107. I pulled down, destroyed and burned in the 
sun. 

108. Their servants I brought to Assyria, 

109. their leaders without shelter I placed. 

110. The wells of drinking water I dried them up, 

111. for a journey of a month and twenty-five 
days the districts of Elam I laid waste, 

112. destruction, servitude, and drought, I poured 
over them. 

113. The daughters of kings, consorts of kings, 

114. and families former and latter 

115. of the kings of Elam, the governors and 


ASSURE ANIPAL, 


355 


116. citizens of those cities, 

117. all I had captured ; the commanders of 
archers, governors, 

118. the directors of . . . three horse charioteers, 

119. chariot drivers, archers, officers, 

120. camp followers and the whole of the people 
all there were, 

121. people male and female, small and great, 
horses, 

122. mules, asses, oxen, and sheep, 

123. beside much spoil, I carried off to Assyria. 

Column YII. 

1. The dust of Shushan, Madaktu, 

2. Haltemas, and the rest of their cities, 

3. entirely I brought to Assyria. 

4. For a month and a day Elam to its utmost 
extent, I swept. 

5. The passage of men, the treading of oxen and 
sheep, 

6. and the springing up of good trees, I burned off 
the fields. 

7. Wild asses, serpents, beasts of the desert, 
Ugallu , 

8. safely I caused to lay down in them. 

9. The goddess Nana who these 1,635 years 

10. had been desecrated, had gone, and dwelt 

11. in Elam, a place not suited to her. 

12. And in these days, she and the gods her fathers, 

13. proclaimed my name to the dominion of the 
earth. 


356 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


14. The return of her divinity she entrusted to me, 

15. thus: “ Assurbanipal from the midst of Elam 
(wicked) 

16. bring me out, and cause me to enter into the 
temple of Anna ” 

17. The will commanded by their divinity, which 
from days remote 

18. they had uttered; again they spoke to later 
people. 

19. The hands of her great divinity I took hold of, 
and 

20. the straight road rejoicing in heart, 

21. she took to the temple of Anna. 

22. In the month Ivislev, the first day, into Erech 
I caused her to enter, and 

23. in the temple of Hilianni which she had de¬ 
lighted in, 

24. I set her up an enduring sanctuary. 

25. People and spoil of Elam, 

26. which by command of Assur, Sin, Shamas, 
Yul, Bel, Nebo 

27. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

28. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal and Nusku, I 
had carried away; 

29. the first part to my gods I devoted. 

30. The archers, footmen, 

31. soldiers, and camp followers, 

32. whom I carried off from the midst of Elam; 

33. over the body of my kingdom I spread. 

34. The rest to the cities, seats of my gods, 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


357 


35. my prefects, my great men, and all my camp, 

36. like sheep I caused to overflow. 

37. Umman-aldas, king of Elam, 

38. who the vigour of the powerful soldiers of 
Assur and Ishtar had seen; 

39. from the mountains, the place of his refuge, he 
returned and 

40. into Madaktu, the city which by command of 
Assur and Ishtar 

41. I had pulled down, destroyed and carried off 
its spoil; 

42. he entered and sat in sorrow, in a place dis¬ 
honoured. 

43. Concerning Nabu-bel-zikri the grandson of 
Merodach Baladan; 

44. who against my agreement had sinned, and 
thrown off the yoke of my dominion; 

45. who on the kings of Elam to strengthen him 
had relied, 

46. had trusted to Umman-igas, Tammaritu, 

47. Inda-bigas, and Umman-aldas, 

48. kings who had ruled the dominion of Elam. 

49. My envoy aboutthe surrender of Nabu-bel-zikri, 

50. with determination of purpose I sent, 

51. to Umman-aldas. Nabu-bel-zikri grandson of 
Merodach Baladan 

52. of the journey of my envoy, who into Elam 
had entered, 

53. heard, and his heart was afflicted. He in¬ 
clined to despair. 


358 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


54. his life before him he did not regard, and 

55. longed for death. 

56. To his own armour-bearer he said also 

57. thus: u Slay me with the sword.” 

58. He and his armour-bearer with the steel 
swords of their girdles pierced through 

59. each other. Umman-aldas feared and 

60. the corpse of that Nabu-bel-zikri who benefits 
trampled on, 

61. with the head of his armour-bearer who de¬ 
stroyed him with the sword; 

62. to my envoy he gave, and he sent it to my 
presence. 

63. His corpse I would not give to burial, 

64. more than before his death I returned, and 

65. his head I cut off; round the neck of Nabu- 
qati-zabat 

66. the munmakir of Saulmugina 

67. my rebellious brother, who with him to pass 
into 

68. Elam had gone; I hung it. 

69. Pahe who against Umman-aldas 

70. had ruled the dominion of Elam, 

71. the terror of the powerful soldiers of Assur 
and Ishtar, 

72. who the first, second, and third time, had 
trampled over Elam; 

73. covered him, and he trusted to the goodness 
of my heart. 

74. From the midst of Elam he fled and 



ASSURBANIPAL. 


359 


75. took the yoke of my kingdom. 

76. The people sinners of Bitimbi, 

77. Kuzurtein, Dursar, 

78. Masutu, Bube, 

79. Bitunzai, Bitarrabi 

80. I prat, Zagar of Tapapa, 

81. Akbarina, Gurukirra, 

82. Dunnu-samas, Hamanu, 

83. Kanizu, Aranzese, 

84. Nakidati, Timinut of Simami, 

85. Bit-qatatti, Sakisai, 

86. Zubahe, and Tulhunba, 

87. who in my former expedition, from the face of 
the powerful soldiers 

88. of Assur and Ishtar fled, and 

89. took to Saladri a rugged mountain; 

90. those people who on Saladri 

91. the mountain fixed their stronghold, 

92. the terror of Assur and Ishtar my lords over¬ 
whelmed them, 

93. from the mountain the place of their refuge 
they fled and 

94. took my yoke. To the bow I appointed them, 

95. over the body of my kingdom 

96. which filled my hand, I spread. 

97. In my ninth expedition I gathered my army, 

98. against Yaiteh king of Arabia 

99. I directed the march; who against my agree¬ 
ment 



360 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


100. had sinned, the benefits done to him he did 
not regard, and 

101. threw off the yoke of my dominion. 

102. When Assur had set him up to perform my 
pleasure, 

103. to seek my alliance his feet broke off, and 

104. he ended his presents and great tribute. 

105. When Elam was speaking sedition with 
Akkad, he heard and 

106. disregarded my agreement. Of me Assur- 
banipal 

107. the king, the noble priest, the powerful leader, 

108. the work of the hands of Assur, he left me, and 

109. to Abiyateh and Aimu sons of Tehari, 

110. his forces with them to the help of 

111. Saulmugina my rebellious brother he sent, and 

112. set his face. The people of Arabia 

113. with him he caused to revolt, and carried 
away the 

114. plunder of the people, whom Assur, Ishtar, 
and the great gods, 

115. had given me, their government I had ruled, 

116. and they were in my hand. 

117. By command of Assur and Ishtar my army 
in the regions 

118. of Azaran, Hirataqaza 

119. in Edom, in the neighbourhood of Yabrud, 

120. in Beth-ammon, in the district of Hauran, 

121. in Moab, in Saharri, 

122. in Harze, and in the district of Zobah, 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


361 


Column YIII. 

1. his numerous fighting men I slew without 
number, I accomplished 

2. his overthrow. The people of Arabia, all who 
with him came, 

3. I destroyed with the sword; and he from the 
face 

4. of the powerful soldiers of Assur fled and got 
away 

5. to a distance. The tents, the pavilions, 

6. their dwellings, a fire they raised and burned in 
the flames. 

7. Yaiteh misfortune happened to him, and 

8. alone he fled to Nabatea. 

9. Yaiteh son of Hazael was brother of the father 

10. of Yaiteh son of Bir-daddi, whom the people of 
his country 

11. appointed to the kingdom of Arabia. 

12. Assur king of the gods the strong mountain, a 
decree 

13. repeated, and he came to my presence. 

14. To satisfy the law of Assur and the great gods 

15. my lords, a heavy judgment took him, and 

16. in chains I placed him, and with asi and dogs 

17. I bound him, and caused him to be kept 

18. in the great gate in the midst of Nineveh, 
N irib- barnakti-adnati. 

19. And he Ammuladi king of Kedar 

20. brought to fight the kings of Syria; 


362 


INSCBIPTIONS OF 


21. whom Assur and Ishtar the great gods had 
entrusted to me. 

22. In the service of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, 
Bel, Nebo, 

23. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

24. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

25. his overthrow I accomplished. Himself alive 
with Adiya 

26. the wife of Yaiteh king of Arabia, 

27. they captured and brought to my presence. 

28. By command of the great gods my lords, with 
the dogs 

29. I placed him, and I caused him to be kept 
chained. 

30. By command of Assur, Ishtar, and the great 
gods my lords, 

31. of Abiyateh and Aimu sons of Tehari, 

32. who to the help of Saulmugina my rebellious 
brother 

33. to enter Babylon went; 

34. his helpers I slew, his overthrow I accom¬ 
plished. The remainder 

35. who into Babylon entered, in want and 

36. hunger ate the flesh of each other. 

37. To save their lives, from the midst of Babylon 

38. they came out, and my forces which around 
Saulmugina 

39. were placed, a second time his overthrow 
accomplished; and 

40. he alone fled, and to save his life 


ASSURBANIPAL. 


363 


41. took my yoke. Favour I granted him and 

42. an agreement to worship the great gods I 
caused him to swear, and 

43. instead of Yaiteh or anyone 

44. to the kingdom of Arabia I appointed. 

45. And he with the Nabateans 

46. his face set, and the worship of the great gods 
did not fear, and 

47. carried away the plunder of the border of my 
country. 

48. In the service of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, 
Nebo, 

49. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

50. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

51. Nathan king of Nabatea whose place was 
remote, 

52. of whom, Yaiteh to his presence had fled; 

53. heard also of the power of Assur who pro¬ 
tected me. 

54. In the time past to the kings my fathers 

55. his envoy he did not send, and did not seek 

56. alliance with their kingdom; in fear of the 
soldiers of Assur 

57. capturing him ... he tore and sought alli¬ 
ance 

58. with my kingdom. Abiyateh 

59. son of Tehari did not . . . benefits, disregard¬ 
ing the 

60. oath of the great gods, seditious words against 
me 


364 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


61. he spoke, and his face with Nathan 

62. king of Nabatea he set, and their forces 

63. they gathered to commit evil against my 
border. 

64. By command of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Vul, 
Bel, Nebo, 

65. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

66. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

67. my army I gathered, against Abiyateh 

68. I directed the march. The Tigris 

69. and the Euphrates in their strong flood, peace¬ 
fully they crossed, 

70. they marched, a distant path they took, they 
ascended 

71. the lofty country, they passed through the 
forests, 

72. of which their shadow was vast, bounded by 
trees great and strong, 

73. and vines, a road of mighty woods. 

74. They went to the rebels of Yas, a place arid and 

75. very difficult, where the birds of heaven had 
not . . . 

76. wild asses they found not in it. 

77. 100 kaspu of ground from Nineveh 

78. the city the delight of Ishtar wife of Bel; 

79. against Yaiteh king of Arabia 

80. and Abiyateh with the forces 

81. of the Nabateans, they went. 

82. They marched and went in the month Sivan, 
the month of Sin 


ASSUBBANIPAL . 


365 


83. the eldest son and first of Bel, 

84. the 27th day, on the festival of the lady of 
Babylon, 

85. the mighty one of the great gods. 

86. From Hadatta I departed, 

87. In Laribda a tower of stones, 

88. over against lakes of water; I pitched my 
camp. 

89. My army the waters for their drink desired, 
and 

90. they marched and went over arid ground, a 
place very difficult 

91. to Hurarina near Yarki, 

92. and Aialla in Yas a place remote, 

93. a place the beast of the desert was not in, 

94. and a bird of heaven had not fixed a nest. 

95. The overthrow of the Isammih, the servants 

96. of Adar-samain, and the Nabateans, 

97. I accomplished. People, asses, camels, 

98. and sheep, their plunder innumerable; I carried 
away. 

99. 8 kaspu of ground my army 

100. marched victoriously, peacefully they re¬ 
turned, and 

101. in Aialli they drank abundant waters. 

102. From the midst of Aialli to Quraziti, 

103. 6 kaspu of ground, a place arid and very 
difficult, 

104. they marched and went. The worshippers of 
Adar-samain, 


366 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


105. and the Kidri of Yaiteh 

106. son of Bir-dadda king of Arabia, I besieged. 

107. His gods, his mother, his sister, his wife, his kin, 

108. the people in the midst all, the asses, 

109. camels, and sheep; 

110. all in the service of Assur and Ishtar my lords 

111. my hands took. The road to Damascus 

112. I caused their feet to take. In the month 
Ab the month of Sagittarius 

113. daughter of Sin the archer, the third day, the 
festival 

114. of the king of the gods Merodach, from Da¬ 
mascus 

115. I departed. 6 kaspu of ground in their 
country all of it, 

116. I marched and went to Hulhuliti. 

117. In Hukkuruna the rugged mountain, 

118. the servants of Abiyateh son of Tehari 

119. of Kedar, I captured, his overthrow I accom¬ 
plished, 

120. I carried off his spoil. Abiyateh and Aimu 

121. sons of Tehari, by command of Assur and 
Ishtar my lords, 

122. in the midst of battle alive I captured in hand. 

123. Hand and foot in bonds of iron I placed them, 
and 


Column IX. 

1. with the spoil of their country I brought them 

2. to Assyria. The fugitives, who from the face of 
my soldiers 


A88URBANJPAL. 


3 67 


3. fled, ascended and took to 

4. Hukkuruna the rugged mountain. 

5. In Laanhabbi .... gathered 

6.an ... . 

[Lines 7 to 25 are lost, only a few doubtful cha¬ 
racters remaining.] 

26. oxen, sheep, asses, camels 

27. and men, they carried off without number. 

28. The sweeping of all the country through its 
extent, 

29. they collected through the whole of it. 

30. Camels like sheep I distributed, and 

31. caused to overflow to the people of Assyria 

32. dwelling in my country. A camel 

33. for half a shekel, in half shekels of silver, they 
valued in front of the gate. 

34. The spoil in the sale of captives among the 
strong 

35.which were gathered in droves, 

36. they bartered camels and men. 

37. Vaiteh and the Arabians, 

38. who my agreement .... 

39. who from the face of the soldiers of Assur my 
lord, 

40. fled and got away; 

41. Ninip the warrior destroyed, 

42. in want and famine their lives were spent, 
and 

43. for their food they ate the flesh of their 
children. 




368 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


44. with a curse .... mud of the earth 

45. in the house of Assur father of the gods .... 
them. 

46. Assur, Sin*, Shamas, Yul, Bel, Nebo, 

47. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

48. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

49. camels strong, oxen and sheep, 

50. more than seven the sacrifices sacrificed, and 

51. for eating they did not eat their carcases. 

52. The people of Arabia one to another, addressed 
each other 

53. thus: “ Concerning the number of these 

54. evil things which happened to Arabia, 

55. because the great agreements with Assur we 
have not regarded, 

56. and we have sinned against the benefits of 
Assurbanipal 

57. the king, the delight of the heart of Bel.” 

58. Beltis the consort of Bel, 

59. the guardian of divinity; 

60. who with Anu and Bel in dominion 

61. is established : pierced my enemies with horns 
of iron. 

62. Ishtar dwelling in Arbela, with fire clothed; 

63.drought upon Arabia poured down. 

64. Dabara the warrior, mourning caused and 

65. destroyed mine enemies. 

66. Ninip fierce, the great warrior, 

67. the son of Bel; with his mighty arrows 

68. destroyed the life of my enemies. 




ASSUBBANIPAL. 


369 


69. Nusku the glorious attendant, sitting in do¬ 
minion ; 

70. who by command of Assur and Beltis .... 

71. the archer, the goddess of ... . 

72. my forces preceded, and .... place of my 
kingdom, 

73. the front of my army took and 

74. destroyed my enemies. 

75. The stroke .... Assur, Ishtar, 

76. and the great gods my lords, 

77. who in making war, went to the help 

78. of my army: Yaiteh heard of, and 

79. over these things feared, and 

80. from Nabatea I brought him out, and 

81. in the service of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, 
Nebo, 

82. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

83. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 


84 .him and sent him to Assyria. 

85 .who to capture my enemies 

86 .fought. By command of Assur and 


Beltis 

87. with a mace which was grasped by my hand, 

88. the flesh coming out of him, his son, 

89. in the sight of his eyes I struck down. 

90. With the dogs I did not place him, 

91. in the gate of the rising sun, in the midst of 
Nineveh, 

92. which, Nirib-parnakti-adnati its name is called; 

93. I caused to keep him chained, 


B B 





370 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


94. to exalt the will of Assur, Ishtar, and the great 
gods 

95. my lords. Favour I granted him and saved 
his life. 

96. On my return Hosah, 

97. which by the side of the sea has its place, I 
captured. 

98. The people of Hosah who to their governors 

99. were not reverent, and did not give the tribute, 

100. the gift of their country, I slew. Amongst 
the people 

101. unsubmissive, chastisement I inflicted. 

102. Their gods and their people I carried off to 
Assyria. 

103. The people of Accho unsubmissive, I de- 
stroyed. 

104. Their bodies in the dust I threw down, the 
whole of the city 

105. I quieted. The rest of them I brought 

106. to Assyria, in rank I arranged, and 

107. over my numerous army, 

108. which Assur strengthened, I spread. 

109. Aimu son of Tehari, with Abiyateh 

110. his brother had risen, and with my army had 
made war. 

111. In the midst of battle, alive in hand I cap¬ 
tured him; 

112. and in Nineveh the city of my dominion, his 
skin I tore off. 



ASSUBBANIPAL. 


371 


113. Umman-aldas king of Elam, 

114. whom from of old Assur and Ishtar my lords 

115. had commanded to make submission to me; 

116. by command of their great divinities who 
were unchanged, 

117. afterwards his country against him revolted, 
and 

118. from the face of the tumult of his servants, 
which they made against him, 

119. alone he fled, and took to the mountains. 

120. From the mountains the house of his refuge, 

121. the place he fled to; 

122. like a raven I caught him, and 

Column X. 

1. alive I brought him to Assyria. 

2. Tammaritu, Pahe, and Umman-aldas, 

3. who after each other ruled the dominion of 
Elam ; 

4. whom, by the power of Assur and Ishtar my 
lords, 

5. I subjugated to my yoke. Vaiteh 

6. king of Arabia, of whom, by command of 
Assur and Ishtar his overthrow 

7. I had accomplished; from his country I brought 
him to Assyria. 

8. When to ... . sacrifices and libations I had 
offered up 

9. in Masmasu, the seat of their power, 

10. before Beltis, mother of the great gods, 



372 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


11. beloved wife of Assur, I had made to the gods of 

12. Idkid. To the yoke of my war chariot 

13. I caused to fasten them, and to the gate of the 
temple 

14. they drew it. On my feet I made invocation, 

15. I glorified their divinity, I praised 

16. their power in the assembly of my army; of 
Assur, Sin, 

17. Shamas, Yul, Bel, Nebo, Ishtar of Nineveh, 

18. Sarrat-kitmuri, Ishtar of Arbela, 

19. Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, who the unsub¬ 
missive to me 

20. subjugated to my yoke, and in glory 

21. and power, established me over my enemies. 

22. Saduri king of Ararat; of whom the kings his 
fathers 

23. to my fathers had sent in fellowship. 

24. Again Saduri, the mighty things 

25. for which the great gods had caused renown 
to me, heard, and 

26. like a son to a father, he sent to my dominion; 

27. and he in these words sent 

28. thus: u Salutation to the king my lord.” 

29. Reverently and submissively, his numerous 
presents 

30. he sent to my presence 


31. Now Riduti the private palace of Nineveh, 

32. the grand city, the delight of Ishtar; 




ASSUBBANIPAL. 


373 


33. which Sennacherib king of Assyria, the grand¬ 
father my begetter, 

34. built for his royal seat; 

35. that Riduti in my days 

36. became old, and its chamber walls decayed. 

37. I Assurbanipal the great king, the powerful 
king, 

38. king of nations, king of Assyria, king of the 
four regions, 

39. within that Ridutu grew up. 

40. Assur, Sin, Shamas, Yul, Bel, Nebo, Ishtar 
of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri. 

41. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

42. my royal sonship .... 


43 .their good protection, 

44 .over me 


45. fixed, when on the throne of the father my 
begetter I sat. 

46. They were made .... and many people 


47 .my hands 

48 .me within it. 

49. On my couch at night .... my 

50. in . . . .. 


51. that mastaku .... 

52. the great gods its renown have heard . . . . 
good 

53. its decay .... to enlarge it 

54> .... the whole of it I destroyed. 

55 .fifty tipki the building of its sculpture 

56 .the work of the mound I completed. 







374 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


57. Before the temples of the great gods my lords 

58. I worshipped .... of that mound 

59. its sculpture, I did not cut down its top. 

60. In a good month and a prosperous day upon 
that mound, 

61. its foundation I placed, I fixed its brickwork. 

62. In Mr is and Jcamis its face I . . . . 

63. I divided in three .... 

64. In carriages of Elam, 

65. which by command of the great gods my lords, 

66. I had carried off; to make that Riduti, 

67. the people of my country, in the midst of them 
carried its bricks. 

68. The kings of Arabia who against my agree¬ 
ment sinned, 

69. whom in the midst of battle alive I had cap¬ 
tured in hand, 

70. to build that Riduti, 

71. heavy burdens I caused them to carry, and 

72. I caused them to take .... 

73. building its brickwork .... 

74. with dancing and music .... 

75. with joy and shouting, from its foundation to 
its roof, 

76. I built. More than before .... 

77. I extended .... 

78. Beams and great planks from Sirara, 

79. and Lebanon, I fixed over it. 

80. Doors of forest trees, their wood excellent, 

81. a covering of copper I spread over and hung 
in its gates. 


ASSUBBANIPAL. 


375 


82. Great columns of bronze .... 

83. at the sides of the gates .... 

84. That Riduti, my royal seat, 

85. the whole of it I finished, entirely 

86. I completed. Plantations choice, 

87.for the glory of 

88. my kingdom I planted like walls. 

89. Sacrifices and libations precious I poured out 
to the gods my lords, 

90. with joy and shouting I completed it, 

91. I entered into it in a state palanquin. 

92. In after days, among the kings my sons, 

93. whomever Assur and Ishtar to the dominion 
of the country and people 

94. shall proclaim his name; 

95. when this Riduti becomes old and 

96. decays, its decay he shall repair, 

97. the inscription written of my name my father’s 
and my grandfather’s, 

98. the remote descendant who .... may he 
see, and 

99. a box may he make, sacrifice and libations 
may he pour out, 

100. and with the inscription written of his name 
may he place them. 

101. May the great gods, all who in this inscription 
.are named, 

102. like me also, establish to him 

103. power and glory. 

104. Whoever the inscription written of my name, 


376 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


105. my father’s and my grandfather’s, shall 
destroy, 

106. and with his inscription shall not place; 

107. Assur, Sin, Shamas, Vul, Bel, Nebo, 

108. Ishtar of Nineveh, Sarrat-kitmuri, 

109. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, and Nusku, 

110. a judgment equal to the renown of my name, 
may they pass on him. 


Date of document. 

111. Month Nisan, 1st day, 

112. in the eponymy of Shamas-dain-ani governor 
of Akkad. 


Variant passages from other copies of the cylinder . 

Column II., line 50, “ Afterwards Undamane son 
of his sister ” 

Column II., line 55, “ Thebes his fortified city he 
made ” 


Column V., line 67, u Imbaappa commander of 
the archers ” 

Column V., line 78, “ Ambagua who from Elam, 
from a revolt,” 

Column VII., lines 9 to 24, see page 224. 

Variant for data of documents . 

1. Month Elul, 28th day, 

2. in the eponymy of Shamas-dain-ani governor 








ASSURB ANIPAL. 


3 77 


This document is one of the finest Assyrian texts 
we possess, and it gives the official history of Assyria, 
from the accession of Assurbanipal, b.c. 671, down to 
about b.c. 645. The cylinder opens with the account 
of Assurbanipal being proclaimed King of Assyria 
by his father, Esarhaddon, and then relates his 
various campaigns against surrounding nations. 
The first two of these campaigns were against Egypt, 
the third against Tyre, the fourth against Minni in 
the mountains east of Assyria, the fifth, seventh, and 
eighth against Elam or Susiana, the sixth against 
Babylon, and the ninth against Arabia. 

The other document of Assurbanipal noticed here 
is the opening portion of a cylinder which I have 
named cylinder C, a text I have nearly completed 
from my excavations. This text refers to the re¬ 
storation and adorning of the various temples; it 
runs:— 

Assurbanipal the great king, the powerful king, 
king of nations, king of Assyria, king of the four 
regions, king of Babylon, king of Sumir and Akkad, 
son of Esarhaddon, king of nations, king of Assyria, 
grandson of Sennacherib, king of nations, king of 
Assyria. 

The great gods in their assembly my glorious re¬ 
nown have heard, and over the kings who dwell in 
palaces, the glory of my name they have raised, and 
have exalted my kingdom. 

The temples of Assyria and Babylonia which Esar¬ 
haddon, king of Assyria, had begun, their foundations 


378 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


he had built, but had not finished their tops; anew I 
built them: I finished their tops. 

Sadi-rabu-matati (the great mountain of the earth), 
the temple of the god Assur my lord, completely I 
finished. Its chamber walls I adorned with gold and 
silver, great columns in it I fixed, and in its gate the 
productions of land and sea I placed. The god Assur 
into Sadi-rabu-matati I brought, and I raised him an 
everlasting sanctuary. 

Saggal, the temple of Merodach, lord of the gods, 
I built, I completed its decorations; Bel and Beltis, 
the divinities of Babylon and Hea, the divine judge, 
from the temple of .... I brought out, and placed 
them in the city of Babylon. Its noble sanctuary a 
great .... with fifty talents of .... its brick¬ 
work I finished, and raised over it. I caused to 
make a ceiling ( ?) of sycamore durable wood, beau¬ 
tiful as the stars of heaven, adorned with beaten 
gold. Over Merodach the great lord I rejoiced in 
heart, I did his will. A noble chariot, the carriage 
of Merodach, ruler of the gods, lord of lords, in gold, 
silver, and precious stones, I finished its workman¬ 
ship. To Merodach, king of the whole of heaven and 
earth, destroyer of my enemies, as a gift I gave it. 

A couch of sycamore durable wood, for the sanc¬ 
tuary, covered with precious stones as ornaments, as 
the resting couch of Bel and Beltis, givers of favour, 
makers of friendship, skilfully I constructed. In the 
gate .... the seat of Zirat-banit, which adorned 
the wall, I placed. 


ASSUUBANIPAL 


379 


Four bulls of silver, powerful, guarding my royal 
threshold, in the gate of the rising sun, in the greatest 
gate, in the gate of the temple Sidda which is in the 
midst of Borsippa, I set up. 

Masmasu, the temple of the mistress of the world, 
beautifully I adorned, entirely .... the divine 
queen of Kitmuri, who .... her temple had left 
. . . . in my time .... which Assur had esta¬ 
blished .... to satisfy her divinity. . . . 

The dwelling of the gods Sin and Nusku, which a 
former king, my predecessor, had built: from the 
beginning had been left, and that dwelling had be¬ 
come old. The dwelling of the gods Sin and Nusku, 
its damages I repaired, beyond what it was before, I 
enlarged its site, from its foundation to its roof I 
rebuilt, and finished it. 

The temple of Melammi-sami (the worship of 
heaven) belonging to the god Nusku the great mes¬ 
senger, which a former king before me had built, and 
placed within it, great beams and planks I placed 
over it, and doors of Leari wood covered with plates 
of silver I hung in the gates. 

Two bulls of silver, destroyers of my enemies, in 
the dwelling of Sin my lord I raised, two eagle¬ 
headed attendant figures placed together, protectors 
of my royal threshold, I set up. I caused to enter 
into it the productions of land and sea, and in the 
gate of the temple Hiduti I set them up. The hands 
of the gods Sin and Nusku I took, I brought them 
in, and seated them in everlasting sanctuaries. The 


380 INSCRIPTIONS OF ASSURBANIPAL. 


temples of Assyria and Babylonia, the whole of them 
I finished, and the furniture of the temples all of it y 
of silver and gold I made. 

Many of these grand works were executed at 
Babylon, and from the temple of Bel at that city I 
procured a brick bearing an inscription of Assur- 
banipal as follows:— 

1. To the god Merodach his lord, 

2. Assurbanipal 

3. king of nations king of Assyria, 

4. son of Esarhaddon 

5. king of nations king of Assyria 

6. king of Babylon, 

7. the brickwork 

8. of the temple of Te-an-ki 

9. anew I caused to build. 

From Babylon I procured inscriptions showing that 
Assurbanipal established a library there as well as in 
Assyria. 




Chapter XIX. 

INSCRIPTIONS OF BEL-ZAKIR-ISKUN, KINO OF ASSYRIA, 
AND HIS SUCCESSORS. 

Want of Monuments.—Obscurity of history.—Bel-zakir-iskun. 
—Cylinder.—Fall of Assyria.—Rise of Babylon.—Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar.—Evil Merodach.—Nergalsharezer.—Method of dating. 
—Nabonidus. — Belshazzar. — Cyrus. — Cambyses. — Darius.— 
Trilingual text. — Artaxerxes. — Parthian date. — Important 
evidence. 

HE present chapter is not a natural 
division of the history, as it includes 
texts of various ages and of distinct 
races of Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, 
and Parthian kings, stretching from the date of the 
death of Assurbanipal, b. C. 626, down to the end of 
the second century before the Christian era. The 
new inscriptions of this long period were, however, 
not numerous enough to justify me in dividing it into 
chapters according to the empires that successively 
ruled in the country, and I was therefore obliged 
to class the inscriptions of all the successors of Assur¬ 
banipal under one head. 

In the death of Assurbanipal the Assyrian power 








382 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


declined, and it is not even certain who was his suc^ 
cessor. It is probable, however, that the next 
monarch was a king named Bel-zakir-iskun, of whom 
I discovered part of a barrel cylinder near the centre 
of the mound of Kouyunjik. This fragment belongs 
to the text printed in “ Cuneiform Inscriptions,” 
vol. i. p. 8, No. 6. The text in question would not 
attract notice but for the fact that so few inscrip¬ 
tions of this period have been discovered, and that 
this is the longest one yet found. The translation 
of this text, so far as it can be restored, is 

1. Bel-zakir-iskun the great king the powerful king, 
king of nations, king of Assyria, 

2.of Assur and Belat, the delight of Mero- 

dach and Ziratbanit, joy of the heart of the lady of 
the temple, 

3. the king who satisfies the heart of Nebo and 
Merodach, the follower .... of Nebo and Urmitu, 

4. Whom Assur, Belat, Bel, Nebo, Sin, Ningal, 
Ishtar of Nineveh, Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, Nergal, 
and Nusku, 

5.him gladly perceived him, and proclaimed 

his name to the kingdom. 

6. In all the holy cities the emblems of rule . . . 
his name they called, 

7.they exalted him and destroyed hi& 

enemies, and struck down my enemies 

8. who .... to supremacy and dominion they 
made him, and in all ... . made me 

9. to establish .... people a crown of dominion 
placed on him .... my birth 



BEL-ZAKIR-ISKTJN. 


388 


10. a sceptre of righteousness for the government 
of all people, Nebo my worship committed to my arm 


11 .destruction .... my officers 

12 .carrying the shrines of Bel and Nebo 


promoter of good 

13.possessing knowledge and wisdom, re¬ 

warder of anyone with good 


14 .judgingupright judgment to his people, 

over .... his blessing 

15 .not choosing the broken .... their 

might 

16 .they were divided, guarding .... his 


officers 

17. son of ... . the great king, the powerful king, 
king of nations, king of Assyria, king of the four 
regions, 

18. son of ... . king of Sumir and Akkad. 

[Lines 19 to 46 very mutilated; they appear to 

describe the rebuilding of the temple of Nebo.] 

47 .I sent .... within it 

48 .unsubmissive to me they subdued to 

my feet. * 

49. In after days in the time of the kings my sons, 
whom Assur and Shamas shall call, and to the do¬ 
minion of countries and peoples shall proclaim 

50. his name. When this house decays and be¬ 
comes old, who repairs its ruin and restores its decay; 

51. the inscription written of my name may he 
see, may he in a receptacle enclose it, pour out a 
libation, and my name with his own name write. 







384 


INSGBIPTIONS OF 


52. may Nebo and Urmitu his prayer hear and 
bless him. 

53. Whoever the writing of my name defaces, and 
with his name does not place it, 

54. may they not establish him, and not hear his 
prayer, and 

55. may they curse him, and his name and his seed 
from the country wipe out. 

.... lines the written inscription, month .... 
3rd day, in the eponymy of Daddi the great officer. 

Such are the fragments of the last royal inscription 
of any length written in Assyria. The curious 
mixture of the first and third persons in the earlier 
lines, suggests that the king is speaking of another 
monarch as well as himself. I suspect that there was 
civil war in Assyria about this time, and Bel-zakir- 
iskun was succeeded after a short reign by Assur- 
ebil-ili-kain, the son of Assurbanipal. This prince, in 
a broken record which I recently discovered, tells us 
that when Assurbanipal died he himself was not called 
to the throne, but he ascended it at a later period. 
Of Assur-ebil-ili-kain I found several inscriptions at 
Nimroud, but these were only duplicates of the texts 
already known, recording his restoration of the temple 
of Nebo at that city. 

The Assyrian empire was overthrown and suc¬ 
ceeded by the Babylonian power under Nabopolassar, 
whose son and successor, Nebuchadnezzar, was one 
of the most famous monarchs in history. He reigned 
from B.c. 605 to 562, and left many memorials of his 


BEL-ZAKIR-ISKUN. 


385 


power. Some small texts of this king are in the new 
collection. One, of which I only obtained a cast, is 
the pupil of the eye of a statue of the god Nebo, in¬ 
scribed with the following dedication : 

1. To the god Nebo his lord, 

2. Nebuchadnezzar 

3. king of Babylon, 

4. son of Nabopolassar 

5. king of Babylon, 

6. for his preservation he made. 

The three other texts of the reign of Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar are on dated contract tablets, and although the 
subject matter of these inscriptions is not of much 
interest, the dates attached to the documents are 
always valuable for confirming and proving the chro¬ 
nology of the reigns of the various monarchs. One 
of these has the following date in the reign of Nebu¬ 
chadnezzar :— 

City of Babylon, month Tammuz, 15th day, 20th 
year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 

The date of this document would be b.c. 585. 

The two following texts are in the 37th year of the 
same monarch:— 

City of Babylon, month Iyyar, 21st day, 37th year 
of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 

City of Babylon, month Kislev, 8th day, 37th year 
of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 

These tablets belong to the year b.c. 568. 

I saw one text of Evil-merodach, the son of Nebu¬ 
chadnezzar, the king who released Jehoiachim of 


386 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


Judah from prison (2 Kings xxv. 27): this is 
dated,— 

City of Dunrinu, month Tammuz, 22nd day, 1st 
year of Evil-merodach king of Babylon. 

The date of this document is b.c. 561. 

Another of these tablets presented to the British 
Museum belongs to the reign of Neriglissar, or 
Nergal-sharezer (Jeremiah xxxix. 3), who was 
a prince of Babylon in the time of Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar, and ascended the throne on the death of Evil- 
merodach in b.c. 560. It is a curious fact that the 
kings of Assyria and Babylonia did not in general 
begin to count the years of their reign until the com¬ 
mencement of the new year following their accession. 
During the remainder of the year in which they 
ascended the throne, documents were dated, “ In the 
year of the accession to the kingdom of so and so,” 
and the first year of the reign commenced with the 
next new year’s day, the first day of the month Nisan. 
The present document in the reign of Nergal-sharezer 
is dated in the accession year of that monarch, and 
will serve as a specimen of this style. 

City of Babylon, month Elul, 16th day, in the year 
of the accession to the kingdom, of Nergal-sharezar 
king of Babylon. 

This date was b.c. 560. 

Another Babylonian date in an accession year is 
given in 2 Kings xxv. 27. u Evil-merodach king of 
Babylon in the year when he began to reign.” 

After the short reign of nine months of the son of 


BEL-ZAKIR-ISKUN. 


387 


Nergal-sharezer, the throne of Babylon was occupied 
in b.c. 556 by Nabonidus the father of the Belshazzar 
of the Book of Daniel. The following dates are of 
his reign:— 

City of Babylon, month Kislev 23rd day, 9th year 
of Nabonidus king of Babylon. 

This document was written b.c. 547. 

Another is dated,—- 

City of Babylon, month Iyyar, 13th day, 11th year 
of Nabonidus king of Babylon. 

This corresponds to b.c. 545. 

A third document has the date— 

City of Babylon, month Elul, 10th day, 16th year 
of Nabonidus king of Babylon. 

This belongs to the year b.c. 540. 

Another text is dated,— 

City of Babylon, month Nisan, 14th day, 17th 
year of Nabonidus king of Babylon. 

This was the last year of Nabonidus, b.c. 539. 

In the year b.c. 540 the Babylonians were attacked 
by the combined forces of the Medes and Persians 
under the leadership of Cyrus, and in b.c. 539 the 
city of Babylon was captured and the country added 
to the Persian empire. 

There are no new inscriptions of the time of 
Cyrus, but there are two of the reign of his son and 
successor Cambyses, who ruled from b.c. 530 to 522. 
The first is dated,— 

City of Babylon, month Elul, 6th day, 2nd year of 
Cambyses king of Babylon, king of countries. 


388 


INSCRIPTIONS OF 


Corresponding with the year b.c. 528. 

The other tablet is dated,— 

City of Babylon, month Tebet, 6th day 5th year 
of Cambyses. 

Agreeing with b.c. 525. 

The reign of Cambyses ended in b.c. 522; and after 
the usurpation of the Magi, Darius Hystaspes ascended 
the Persian throne the same year. The three fol¬ 
lowing dates belong to the reign of Darius :— 

City of Babylon, month Tebet, 9th day, 6th year 
of Darius king of Babylon, king of countries. 

This tablet belongs to b.c. 516. * 

Another is dated,— 

City of Kisu, month Ab, 7th day, 30th year of 
Darius king of Babylon, king of countries. 

The date of this tablet is b.c. 492. 

The third of these texts has the date,— 

City of Babylon, month Elul, 24th day, 31st year 
of Darius king of Babylon and the countries. 

This date is b.c. 491. 

I saw at Baghdad a small conical stone of a 
black colour, in appearance like a weight, having 
a worn inscription of Darius in three languages, Per¬ 
sian, Medo-Scythic, and Babylonian. 

The last inscription of the Persian period which I 
have to notice is dated in the “ month Kislev, 2nd 
day, 39th year of Artaxerxes king of countries,” 
which corresponds to b.c. 427. 

The Persian empire was overthrown by Alexander 
the Great, and after his death his empire was divided 



BEL-ZAKIR-ISKUN. 


389 


among his generals. One of these, named Seleucus, 
obtained possession of Babylon, and from him an era 
was named which commenced b.c. 312. Some sixty 
years after this a chief named Arsaces revolted against 
the Seleucidse and founded the Parthian monarchy 
and the dynasty of the Arsacidse. The Parthians 
afterwards defeated the Greeks, and wrested Baby¬ 
lonia from them. From the time of the Parthian 
conquest it appears that the tablets were dated 
according to the Parthian style. There has always 
been a doubt as to the date of this revolt, and con¬ 
sequently of the Parthian monarchy, as the classical 
authorities have left no evidence as to the exact date 
of the rise of the Parthian power. I however obtained 
three Parthian tablets from Babylon, two of them 
contained double dates, one of which being found 
perfect supplied the required evidence, as it was 
dated according to the Seleucian era, and according 
also to the Parthian era, the 144th year of the Par- 
thians being equal to the 208th year of the Seleu- 
oidae, thus making the Parthian era to have com¬ 
menced b.c. 248. This date is written: 

Month .... 23rd day, 144th year, which is called 
the 208th year, Arsaces king of kings. 

This tablet was inscribed b.c. 105, and is of consi¬ 
derable importance for the chronology of the period. 
Clinton, in his great work, has given the dates at 
which several authorities have stated that the Par¬ 
thian monarchy arose. See Clinton’s “ Fasti Bomani,” 
vol. ii. appendix, p. 243. Justin, whom Clinton here 


390 INSCRIPTIONS OF JBEL-ZAKIR-ISKUN. 

follows, fixed on the year b.c. 250, and Eusebius 
gives the same date. Moses Chorenensis fixes on two 
dates, b.c. 251 and 252, and Suidas gives the year 
b.c. 246. On comparing the dates here given with 
that in the inscription, it appears that three of them, 
b.c. 252, 251, and 250, are too high, and one, b.c. 
246, is too low, the true date being b.c. 248. 

Many other dates in Parthian history are still un¬ 
decided, but it is probable that evidence could be 
obtained by researches at Babylon, to settle these 
points of difficulty. 




Chapter XX. 

MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 

Hymn to light.—Translation.—Invocation to Izdnbar.—His 
worship.—Babylonian text.—Prayer to Bel.—Inundation.— 
Seven evil spirits.—Their work.—Bel.—Sin, Shamas, and Ishtar. 
—Attack on the moon.—War in heaven.—Message to Hea.— 
Mission of Merodach.—Comparison of legends.—Character of 
deities.—Astronomy.—Four seasons. — Intercalary month.— 
Astrolabe.—Observation of eclipse.—-Respect for laws.—Epi¬ 
graphs.—Letter.—Deed of sale.—Date of Assnrbanipal.—Sale of 
slave.—Syllabaries.—Bilingual lists. 


N the previous chapters I have pointed 
out some of the principal historical in¬ 
scriptions in the new collection. These, 
however, form only a small part of the 
discovered texts. There are besides inscriptions and 
parts of inscriptions of all classes on mythology, 
astronomy, astrology, geography, natural history, 
witchcraft, evil spirits, laws, contracts, letters, de¬ 
spatches, &c. I purpose noticing some of these texts 
as illustrations of the contents of the collection, but 
it would take a far larger work to exhaust or do 
justice to them. The first tablet I have chosen is 




392 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


the one photographed here, which I may describe as 
a hymn to the light of heaven. . . . This name, how¬ 
ever, hardly describes the tablet, which abounds in 
abrupt transitions, and consists alternately of pas¬ 
sages of praise of light and passages in which light 
personified as a goddess is speaking. The obverse 
of the tablet commences with the words, u Light of 
heaven, like a fire on the earth thou art kindled.” 
The reverse, which is photographed, reads— 

1. That which in the storehouse of heaven is 
kindled, and to the cities of men flies, my glory. 

2. Queen of heaven above and below, may they 
call my glory. 

3. Countries at once, I sweep in my glory. 

4. Of countries their walls am I, their great de¬ 
fence am I in my glory. 

5. May thy heart rejoice ; may thy liver be 
satisfied ; 

6. 0 lord great Anu, may thy heart rejoice; 

7. 0 lord great mountain Bel, may thy liver be 
satisfied; 

8. 0 goddess lady of heaven, may thy heart re¬ 
joice ; 

9. 0 mistress lady of heaven, may thy liver be 
satisfied; 

10. 0 mistress lady of the temple of Anna, may 
thy heart rejoice; 

11. 0 mistress lady of Erech, may thy liver be 
satisfied; 



r 









> a./ * / 


A 




/ 


















' 
























- 











































































MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


393 


12. 0 mistress lady of Zasuh-erech, may thy heart 
rejoice. 

13. 0 mistress lady of Harris-kalama (mount of 
the world) may thy liver be satisfied; 

14. 0 mistress lady of Silim-kalama, may thy 
heart rejoice; 

15. 0 mistress lady of Babylon, may thy liver be 
satisfied; 

16. 0 mistress lady named Nana, may thy heart 
rejoice; 

17. 0 lady of the temple, lady of the gods, may 
thy liver be satisfied. 

18. The lament for the goddess 

19. Like the old copy written and explained. 

20. Palace of Assurbanipal king of Assyria, 

21. son of Esarhaddon king of nations, king of 
Assyria, pontiff of Babylon, 

22. king of Sumir and Akkad, king of the kings of 
Kush and Muzur, 

23. king of the four regions, son of Sennacherib 

24. king of nations, king of Assyria; 

25. who to Assur and Beltis, Nebo and Urmit 
trusts. 

26. Thy kingdom, light of the gods. 

Here the first few lines are double, being one in 
the Turanian language, the other in the Assyrian. 
In the later lines the verb at the end is omitted, 
being indicated by a slight line across, to show that 




394 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


it is the same as those above. Line 18 contains the 
copy of the opening line of the next tablet in the 
series, and lines 19 to 26 contain the colophon, with 
the statement that the tablet is a true copy of the 
original, the genealogy of Assurbanipal, &c. 

There is another curious tablet of this class in the 
new collection—an invocation to Izdubar, the hero of 
the flood legends, who was deified after his death. 
The idea of the power of this hero is forcibly shown 
in this tablet. 

Invocation to Izdubar (Nimrod f). 

1. Izdubar the giant king, judge of angels; 

2. Noble prince great among men, 

3. Conqueror of the world, ruler of the earth, lord 
of the lower regions; 

4. Judge speaking like god. Thou dividest, 

5. thou establishest in the earth, thou finishest 
judgment, 

6. thy judgment is not changed, another exists not. 

7. Thou spoilest, thou rejoicest, thou judgest, thou 
dividest, thou arrangest. 

8. Shamas wisdom and power to thy hand has 
given, 

9. kings, pontiffs, and princes before thee are sub¬ 
ject. 

10. Thou dividest their ways, their power thou 
breakest. 

11. I so and so son of such an one, whom his god 
so and so and his goddess so and so, 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


395 


12. with disease have covered, and have visited 
him with a judgment; 

13. my strength to weakness before me turns, 

14. Give judgment for me, &c., &c. 

The remainder of the tablet is mutilated, and I 
have not yet had time to complete it, but I expect 
the rest of the inscription is in the collection. This 
portion, however, will show the popular idea of 
Izdubar, whom I think to be the giant hunter of 
Genesis. We must always remember that Izdubar 
is only a provisional name, which I proposed for this 
hero when I first discovered the account of his ad¬ 
ventures ; his real name we do not yet know, as we 
cannot read the characters of which it is composed; 
I believe when they are read they will turn out to 
be Nimrod. Beside this monarch, two other Baby¬ 
lonian kings were also deified, Suqamunu and Amar- 
agu. 

From Babylon I procured several tablets forming 
the first instalment of a Babylonian library attached 
to the temple of Bel; among these tablets were some 
curious records as to the rites in the Babylonian 
temples. The following translation is made from one 
written in the Turanian and Semitic Babylonian 
languages:— 

Tablet from the Temple of Bel . 

1. In the month Nisan, on the second day, one 
kaspu (2 hours) in the night, 



396 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


2. the amil-urgal draws near and the water of the 
river he observes 

3. to the presence of Bel he enters and measures, 
and in the presence of Bel 

4. he marks it, and to Bel this prayer he prays: 

5. “0 lord, who in his might has no equal; 

6. 0 lord, good sovereign, lord of the world; 

7. Executor of the judgment of the great gods; 

8. Lord who in his might is clothed with strength; 

9. Lord king of mankind, establisher of glory; 

10. Lord thy throne is Babylon, Borsippa is thy 
crown; 

11. the wide heaven is the expanse of thy liver. 

[12 and 13 of doubtful meaning.] 

14. thy might thou .... 

15.lord powerful, 

16. returning reward .... 

17. to those cast down, do thou give to them 
favour, 

18. answer to the man who praises thy might. 

19. 0 lord of the earth, of mankind, and spirits, 
speak good. 

20. Who is there, whose mouth does not praise thy 
might, 

21. and speak of thy law, and glorify thy do¬ 
minion? 

22. 0 lord of the earth dwelling in the temple of 
the sun, take hold of the hands which are lifted to 
thee, 





MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 397 

23. to thy city Babylon grant favours, 

24. to the temple of Saggal thy temple, incline thy 
face, 

25. for the sons of Babylon and Borsippa grant 
blessings. 

There are several of these tablets in the new col¬ 
lection giving directions for similar ceremonies on 
different days in the first month Nisan. From the 
wording of the tablets it appears that these rites were 
connected with the rise of the inundation, a matter 
of the utmost importance to the Babylonians. The 
officer called amil-urgal had to watch the stream and 
record in the temple the measure of the waters, praying 
at the same time to Bel, the great god of Babylon, to 
be propitious to the country. 

Of the curious myths connected with the Baby¬ 
lonian religion there are several examples. I have 
already mentioned one, unfortunately too mutilated 
for translation, the account of the Creation. It appears 
to record that when the gods in their assembly made 
the universe there was confusion, and the gods sent 
out the spirit of life. They then create the beast of 
the field, the animal of the field, and the reptile or 
creeping thing of the field, and fix in them the spirit 
of life; next comes the creation of domestic animals 
and the creeping things of the city. There are in all 
fourteen mutilated lines remaining of the inscription. 

The new collection has yielded another fine frag¬ 
ment of this class, which joins some others and helps 



398 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


to complete a curious myth relating to seven evil 
spirits. This tablet belongs to a series which appears 
to me likely to represent the tablets which Berosus 
states were buried by Xisithrus before the deluge, and 
recovered by the Babylonians after the waters had 
subsided. It is possible that these tablets were 
written by some Chaldean priest during the early 
Babylonian monarchy, and that their author endea¬ 
voured to increase their importance by representing 
them as works written before the flood. Among the 
known inscriptions there are no others likely to re¬ 
present these supposed records. The tablet with the 
history of the seven evil gods or spirits is written in 
six columns, inscribed on both sides of a large clay 
tablet. Only the first three columns refer to the le¬ 
gend, the others being, however, on a similar subject. 

Tablet with the story of the Seven Wicked Gods or 
Spirits. 

Column I. 

1. In the first days the evil gods 

2. the angels who were in rebellion, who in the 
lower part of heaven 

3. had been created, 

4. they caused their evil work 

5. devising with wicked heads . . . 

6. ruling to the river .... 

7. There were seven of them. The first was .... 

8. the second was a great animal .... 

9. which anyone .... 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


399 


10. the third was a leopard .... 

11. the fourth was a serpent .... 

12. the fifth was a terrible .... which to ... . 

13. the sixth was a striker which to god and king 
did not submit, 

14. the seventh was the messenger of the evil wind 
which .... made. 

15. The seven of them messengers of the god Anu 
their king 

16. from city to city went round 

17. the tempest of heaven was strongly bound to 
them, 

18. the flying clouds of heaven surrounded them, 

19. the downpour of the skies which in the bright 
day 

20. makes darkness, was attached to them 

21. with a violent wind, an evil wind, they began, 

22. the tempest of Yul was their might, 

23. at the right hand of Yul they came, 

24. from the surface of heaven like lightning they 
darted, 

25. descending to the abyss of waters, at first they 
came. 

26. In the wide heavens of the god Anu the king 

27. evil they set up, and an opponent they had not. 

28. At this time Bel of this matter heard and 

29. the account sank into his heart. 

30. With Hea the noble sage of the gods he took 
counsel, and 

31. Sin (the moon), Shamas (the sun), and Ishtar 



400 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


( Yenus) in the lower part of heaven to control it he 
appointed. 

32. With Anu to the government of the whole of 
heaven he set them up. 

33. To the three of them the gods his children, 

34. day and night to be united and not to break 
apart, 

35. he urged them. 

36. In those days those seven evil spirits 

37. in the lower part of heaven commencing, 

38. before the light of Sin fiercely they came, 

39. the noble Shamas and Yul (the god of the 
atmosphere) the warrior to their side they turned 
and 

40. Ishtar with Anu the king into a noble seat 

41. they raised and in the government of heaven 
they fixed. 


Column II. 

1. The god. 

2 . 

3. The god. 

4. which. 

5. In those days the seven of them . . . 

6. at the head in the control to. 

7. evil. 

8. for the drinking of his noble mouth . . 

9. The god Sin the ruler .... mankind 


10.of the earth 

11*..troubled and on high he sat, 















MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


401 


12. night and day fearing, in the seat of his do¬ 
minion he did not sit. 

13. Those evil gods the messengers of Anu their king 

14. devised with wicked heads to assist one 
another, and 

15. evil they spake together, and 

16. from the midst of heaven like a wind to the 
earth they came down. 

17. The god Bel of the noble Sin, his trouble 

18. in heaven, he saw and 

19. Bel to his attendant the god Nusku said: 

20. “ Attendant Nusku this account to the ocean 
carry, and 

21. the news of my child Sin who in heaven is 
greatly troubled; 

22. to the god Hea in the ocean repeat. 

23. Nusku the will of his lord obeyed, and 

24. to Hea in the ocean descended and went. 

25. To the prince, the noble sage, the lord, the 
god unfailing, 

26. Nusku the message of his lord at once re¬ 
peated. 

27. Hea in the ocean that message heard, and 

28. his lips spake, and with wisdom his mouth was' 

filled. 

29. Hea his son the god Merodach called, and this 
word he spake: 

30. u Go my son Merodach 

31. enter into the shining Sin who in heaven is 
greatly troubled; 


D D 


402 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


32. his trouble from heaven expel. 

33. Seven of them the evil gods, spirits of death, 
having no fear, 

34. seven of them the evil gods, who like a flood 

35. descend and sweep over the earth. 

36. To the earth like a storm they come down. 

37. Before the light of Sin fiercely they came 

38. the noble Shamas and Yul the warrior, to 
their side they turned and .... 

The next thirty lines of this curious legend are 
still lost; they probably contained the remainder of 
the speech of Hea, describing the events in heaven, 
and the mission of Merodach to his assistance. Of 
the following portion of the legend there remain six 
fragments, but these are not sufficient for the restora¬ 
tion of the text. This inscription gives us a curious 
picture of the myths prevalent in the Euphrates 
valley. They appeared to believe that in the early 
days of the world there was a chaos or confusion in 
heaven, and monstrous forms of animals ran riot as 
evil spirits in the universe, while the sun, moon, and 
stars had not been set in their places. In the upper 
regions of heaven ruled the god Anu, who corre¬ 
sponded in some senses to the Ouranos of the Greeks. 
He was god of heaven and king of the seven evil 
gods, and he had a son named Yul, who was god of 
the atmosphere and all its phenomena. On the earth 
ruled Bel, god of the middle region, and the principal 
object of Babylonian worship. Anu in heaven rather 
represented a passive divinity, overlooking all things, 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 403 

but seldom interfering. Bel on the other hand re¬ 
presents the acting principle moving in all matters, 
controlling and creating. The deep, or ocean, and 
region under the earth were ruled by Hea, who re¬ 
presents the mind or wisdom of the gods. Thus 
these three leading deities of the Babylonian pantheon 
represent in some sort a trinity, and exhibit the god¬ 
head under a threefold aspect. The seven wicked 
gods or spirits, with their monstrous forms, are pro¬ 
bably the originals of the Titans of the Greeks, who 
were at war with Jupiter. Bel, seeing the confusion 
in heaven, resolves to place there the sun, the moon, 
and Yenus, who typifies the stars, that these heavenly 
orbs might rule and direct the heavens. The evil 
spirits, emblems of chaos, resist this change, and 
make war on the Moon, the eldest son of Bel, draw¬ 
ing over to their side the Sun, Yenus, and the atmo¬ 
spheric god, Yul. Bel hears of this, and then follows 
the mission to Hea for his advice. It is most pro¬ 
bable that the legend closes with the destruction or 
punishment of the seven evil spirits, and the triumph 
of the Moon, who is considered the type of the good 
kings of the country; one later passage mentions: 
“ The king the son of his god (i.e. the pious king) 
who like the glorious moon the life of the country 
sustains.” 

This legend of Bel ending the rule of the monsters, 
and setting the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens, 
forms a curious commentary on the description of the 
creation by Berosus, the Chaldean priest, who repre- 


404 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


sents monsters as existing on tlie earth before Bel 
created light and the heavenly bodies. The details 
of the legend are, however, so different to those of 
the Greek translation of Berosus, that they suggest 
the idea that these myths had assumed various forms 
in Chaldea at an early period. Other fragments of 
similar legends are in the new collection, and when 
joined together and completed, will probably supply 
new and curious matter in the same direction. 

In the division of tablets relating to astronomy 
and astrology there are many new and curious tab¬ 
lets. Some of these give us our first insight into the 
divisions of the heavens and positions of the fixed 
stars. One shows that the sky was divided into four 
regions, the passage of the sun through which marked 
the four seasons of the year. This fragment is the 
most valuable astronomical text that has yet been 
discovered, as it shows also the method of arranging 
the year. The following is a translation of the in¬ 
scription, with some slight restorations, which are 
easily supplied by the regular character of the 
text:— 


1. From the 1st day of the month Adar to the 
30th day of the month Iyyar, the sun in the division 
(or season) of the great goddess, 

2. is fixed and the time of showers and warmth 


3. From the 1st day of the month Sivan to the 
30th day of the month Ab, the sun 




MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


405 


4. in the division (or season) of Bel is fixed and 
the time of the crops and heat 


5. From the 1st day of the month Elul to the 
30th day of the month Marchesvan, the sun 

6. in the division (or season) of Anu is fixed and 
the time of showers and warmth. 


7. From the 1st day of the month Kislev to the 
30th day of the month Sebat, the sun in the division 
(or season) of Hea is fixed and the time of cold. 

8. When on the 1st day of the month Nisan the 
star of stars and the moon are parallel, that year is 
right (or normal). 

9. When on the 3rd day of the month Nisan the 
star of stars and the moon are parallel, that year is 
full (: i.e . has 13 months). 

It appears by this that at the time this tablet was 
written the spring quarter was counted as extending 
through the months Adar (the last month of the 
year), Nisan (the first month), and Iyyar, that is, 
commencing in February and ending in May. 

The summer quarter extended through the months 
Sivan, Tammuz, and Ab, commencing in May and 
ending in August. The autumn quarter extended 
through the months Elul, Tisri, and Marchesvan, 
commencing in August and ending in November. • 
The winter quarter extended through the months 






406 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


Kislev, Tebet, and Sebat, commencing in November 
and ending in February. To agree with and pre¬ 
cisely mark these periods, the heavens were divided 
into four regions, and the passage of the sun from 
one of these to another served to mark the change 
of season. In this tablet I have according to usual 
custom translated the signs for u month ” and “ day,” 
but I believe in this case the word “ day ” means a 
degree of the heavens, and the word u month” a 
sign of the zodiac, so that instead of “ From the 1st 
day of the month Addar to the 30th day of the 
month Iyyar,” I should propose, “ From the 1st 
degree of the sign Pisces to the 30th degree of the 
sign Taurus,” and so on through the translation. 
The Assyrian year consisted, like the Jewish, of 
twelve lunar months, and in order to keep it in 
proper relation to the solar year, an intercalary 
month was sometimes added. In order to know 
when to add the extra month, they watched a star 
called the u star of stars,” which was just in advance 
of the sun when it crossed the vernal equinox. If 
the moon was parallel with that on the first day of 
the month, they made no intercalation; but if it did 
not reach the star until the third day, it showed that 
the year (from the fact that twelve lunar months 
were short of the solar year) began too far in advance 
of the equinox, and therefore an intercalary month 
was added to bring it round again. The information 
with respect to the divisions of the heavens and the 
names of some of the stars in the different divisions, 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


407 


will enable us in time to give something like precision 
to our knowledge of the Babylonian astronomy. I 
have been able already with these aids to fix approxi¬ 
mately, and in some cases to identify, about thirty of 
the principal stars. Four of these are given on the 
fragment of the astrolabe, the stars Urbat and 
Addil, which were in the sign Scorpio, and the stars 
Nibat-anu and Udka-gaba, which were in the sign 
Sagittarius. The star Nibat-anu has hitherto been 
erroneously supposed to be a planet. 

The fact that in this record the four quarters of 
the heavens do not commence with the new year, 
suggests the inquiry whether from the precession of 
the equinoxes the seasons had shifted since the first 
settlement of Babylonian astronomy. Another curious 
document of this class is an astrolabe, part of which 
I discovered in the palace of Sennacherib. In this 
the heavens and the year are represented by the 
circular form of the object, and round the circum¬ 
ference it was originally divided into twelve parts 
corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac and 
the twelve months of the year, the number of degrees 
in each being marked. Inside these there were 
twelve other divisions nearer the pole, forming a 
second and inner circle, and in each of the twenty- 
four divisions, the principal prominent star is inserted. 
The following diagram will give an idea of this work, 
remembering that the Assyrian copy is round a 
circle:— 


408 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


Outer circle. 


Arah-uru-gab-a 

Arah-gan-gan-na 

Month Marchesvan 

Month Kislev 

(October) 

(November) 

Star Ur-bat 

Star Nibat-anu 

140 

120 

degrees 

degrees 

* 

* 

Star Addil 

Star Ud-ka-gab-a 

70 

60 

degrees 

degrees 

* 

* 


Pole. 


I am of opinion that the numbers under the month 
of Marchesvan, 140 and 70 degrees, are errors in the 
Assyrian copy, and should be 150 and 75 degrees. 

These and some other similar documents will be of 
great value towards arranging the Babylonian names 
of stars, and ascertaining their divisions of the 
heavens. All investigations into the astronomy of 
the Assyrians and Babylonians are of little use until 
the positions of the stars according to their system 
are fixed. 

In the valley of the Euphrates there were in those 
days observatories in most of the large cities, and 
professional astronomers regularly took observations 
of the heavens, copies of which were sent to the king, 
as each movement or appearance in the heaven was 
supposed to portend some good or evil to the kingdom. 
The following report was found in the palace of Sen¬ 
nacherib at Kouyunjik:— 








MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


409 


1. To the king my lord, thy servant Abil-istar, 

2. May there be peace to the king my lord. May 
Nebo and Merodach 

3. to the king my lord be favourable. Length of 
days, 

4. health of body, and joy of heart, may the great 
gods 

5. to the king my lord grant. Concerning the 
eclipse of the moon 

6. of which the king my lord sent to me; in the 
cities of Akkad, 

7. Borsippa, and Nipur, observations 

8. they made and then in the city of Akkad 

9. we saw part .... 

10. the observation was made and the eclipse took 
place 


11 . 

12. .... the eclipse over . . . . 
13.saw ? . . . . 


14. which on the tablet was written .... 

15. I made the observation .... 

16. This to the king my lord I send. 

17. And when for the eclipse of the sun we made 

18. an observation, the observation was made and 
it did not take place. 

19. That which I saw with my eyes to the king 
my lord 

20. I send. This eclipse of the moon 

21. which did happen, concerns the countries 

22. with their god all. Over Syria 






410 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


23. it closes, the country of Phoenicia, 

24. of the Hittites, of the people of Chaldea, 

25. but to the king my lord it sends peace, and 
according to 

26. the observation, not the extending 

27. of misfortune to the king my lord 

28. may there be. 

The care of these people about the laws and justice 
may be seen by the following inscription found in the 
north palace, Kouyunjik. 

1. When the king according to judgment does 
not speak; his people decay, his country is depressed. 

2. When according to the laws of his country he 
does not speak; the god Hea, lord of destiny, 

3. his fate shall utter and he shall be set aside. 

4. When according to good government he does 
not speak; his days shall be shortened. 

5. When according to the good tablets he does 
not speak; his country shall know invasion. 

6. When according to destruction he speaks; his 
country shall be broken up. 

7. W'hen according to the writings of the god 
Hea he speaks; the great gods 

8. in glory and just praise shall seat him. 

9. If the son of the city of Sippara, he beats and 
turns aside justice; Shamas the judge of heaven and 
earth, 

10. another judge in his country shall place, and a 
just prince and just judge instead of unjust judges. 

11. When the sons of the city of Nipur for judg- 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


411 


ment shall come to him, and he shall take gifts and 
beat them; 

12. The god Bel, lord of countries, another enemy 

13. shall strengthen against him, and his army 
shall destroy. 

14. The prince and his general in fetters like cri¬ 
minals shall be bound. 

15. If silver the sons of Babylon bring and send 
presents, and 

16. the judge of the Babylonians listens and turns 
to injustice; 

17. Merodach lord of heaven and earth his enemy 
over him shall establish, 

18. and his goods and furniture to his adversary 
shall give. 

19. The sons of Nipur, Sippara, and Babylon, who 
shall do this; 

20. to prison shall be sent. 

There are several other lines to the same effect, 
and it appears that this is, like most of the tablets, a 
copy from a much older Babylonian original. The 
Assyrians had really little original literature of their 
own, almost all their writings being copies from early 
Babylonian texts. 

Another curious class of tablets consists of small 
texts, apparently directions to the workmen as to 
what inscriptions are to be carved over the various 
sculptures in the palace. I have translated one 
which I found in the south-west palace, Kouyunjik. 


412 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


Tablet containing copies of Epigraphs over Sculptures . 

1. In front of the decapitated head of Te-umman 
king of Elam, 

2. whom Ishtar my lady had delivered into my 
hands, 

3. my entry into the city of Arbela I made with 
rejoicing. 

4. Dunanu, Samgunu, and Paliya 

5. in the regions of the rising sun and the setting 
sun, 

6. to the astonishment of the people with me, I 
fettered them. 

7. With the decapitated head of Te-umman king 
of Elam, 

8. the road to Arbela I took with rejoicing 

9. I am Assurbanipal king of Assyria. The great 
men of Ursa 

10. king of Armenia, to ask for my alliance he sent. 

11. Nabu-damiq and Umbadara great men of Elam 

12. in bonds for the defiance I placed in their 
presence. 

13. Before them Mannu-ki-ahi the second man 
attazabni 

14. and Ninip-uzalli the prefect before the city 
their tongues I pulled out, 

15. I tore olf their skins 







MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 413 

16. Line of battle of Assurbanipal king of Assyria, 
who accomplished the overthrow of Elam 

17. Line of battle of Te-umman king of Elam. 


18. Head of Te-umman king of Elam. 


19. I am Assurbanipal king of nations king of 
Assyria 

20. conqueror of his enemies. The head of Te- 
umman into the city of Nineveh 

21. of Assur, Sin, Shamas, Bel, Nebo, Ishtar of 
Nineveh, 

22. Ishtar of Arbela, Ninip, and Nergal, into the 
city the men of my arms joyfully 

23. carried, in front of the great gate and before 
the viceroy of Assur placed it, 

24. in front of my footstool. 

25. I am Assurbanipal king of nations, king of 
Assyria, 

26. Nabu-damiq and Umbadara the great men 

27... 

Each space between the black lines contained an 
epigraph to go over the particular sculptured scene 
which it explained. All the epigraphs on this tablet 
belonged to the great war against Te-umman, which 
in the great cylinder is called the fifth campaign of 
the king. Similar epigraphs are found on the sculp¬ 
tures, and several of them are in the British Museum. 









414 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


The following tablet is a request or petition found 
in the palace of Sennacherib. It is from an officer 
named Bel-basa connected with the palace of Kalzi, 
an Assyrian city on the site of the modern Shema- 
mak. It appears that the palace there was assigned 
as a residence to the wives of the king and had be¬ 
come dangerous from want of repair. 

Letter to the king of Assyria. 

1. To the king my lord 

2. from thy servant Bel-basa. 

3. May there be peace to the king my lord, 

4. Nebo and Merodach 

5. the king my lord very 

6. greatly bless. 

7. Concerning the palace of the queen, 

8. which is in the city of Kalzi 

9. which the king my lord has appointed us; 

10. the house is decaying, 

11. the house the foundation is opening, 

12. the foundations to bulge, 

13. its bricks are bulging. 

14. When will the king our lord command 

15. the master of works ? 

16. An order let him make, 

17. that he may come, and the foundation 

18. that he may strengthen. 

In connection with this tablet it may be noticed as 
a curious fact that Sennacherib mentions executing 
some works at the palace of Kalzi in b.c. 704. 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


415 


The following inscription, which dates in the year 
B.c. 670, late in the reign of Esarhaddon, records the 
sale of a plantation or enclosure near the city of 
Lahiru, in the south-east of Assyria, and close to the 
Elamite frontier:— 

Assyrian Deed of Sale. 

1. Seal of Nergal-ilai the governor 

2. of the city of Lahiru; 

3. Seal of Sin-sar-uzur the second man in the same; 

4. ditto of Musasu the third man in the same; 

5. ditto of Zabinu the director of the ... . ; 

6. making four men owners of the enclosure sold. 


[Here follow impressions of seals.] 


7. The enclosure of Bahai, the whole of it; 

8. measuring 500 of ground reckoned in sekul 
(acres), 

9. bounded by the enclosure of Tabhari, 

10. bounded by the ground of tbe enclosure of 
Zilli-bel the ruler of Sakullat, 

11. bounded by tbe ground of tbe city of Paqut 
and of the city of Eur-mannai, 

12. bounded by the ground of the enclosure of 
Ahiya-amnu and the enclosure of Zilli-bel; 

13. they sold; and Adar-ili the officer 

14 of the son of the king of Babylon 

15 from before these men, 






416 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


16. for the sum of fourteen manas (15 lbs.) of 
silver 

17. bought. ... of the king 


18 .to be eaten 

19 .sekul (acres) 

20 . kar ablii 

21 .this year the silver on account of 

22 .placed, his ground 

23 .went out of that ground, the seed for 


its sowing 

24. they had not sown; and its grain 

25. he will not gather 

26. Witness Sin-bel-uzur the great collector, 

27. witness Salimha the third man 

28. of the palace, 

29. witness Bel-nahid minister of the son of the 
king, 

30. witness Mannu-ki-assur the scribe, 

31. witness Maruduk-sarani .... 

32. witness Ginai the Elamite 

33. witness Nabu-musa the scribe 

34. Month Iyyar, 1st day, 

35. in the eponymy of Salmu-bel-lasmi 

36. governor of the city of Diri. 

[On edge of tablet.] 

37. Bounded by the ground of the enclosure 

38. of La .... 

In this inscription Esarhaddon is spoken of simply 
as the king of Babylon, which makes it probable that 









MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


417 


he had already associated his eldest son, Assurbanipal, 
with himself on the throne, and had resigned Assyria 
to him, retaining Babylon for himself. The accession 
of Assurbanipal will thus be some years earlier than 
I have formerly supposed, and probably took place in 
B.c. 671. Adar-ili, who purchased this field, was 
governor of Lahiru three years earlier; he was now 
promoted to be an officer of Assurbanipal, while 
Nergal-ilai replaced him at Lahiru. Bel-nahid, the 
third of the witnesses, was a few years later made 
tartan or commander-in-chief. 

Another of these deeds of sale in the new collec¬ 
tion is an illustration of the slavery which then as 
now existed in the Euphrates valley. This tablet 
records the sale of a girl to one of the women of the 
palace of Sennacherib, and it is dated in the monarch’s 
one eponymy in the year b.c. 687. This girl was 
probably intended for the harem of the king. 

Tablet with record of the sale of a female slave from 
the Palace of Sennacherib , Kouyunjih . 

1. Seal of the woman Daliya 

2. mistress of the girl who was sold. 

Space for seals. 


3. The girl Anadalati 

4. daughter of Sayaradu 

5. she sold, and Ahitilli 

6. female of the palace, from the hand 

E E 




418 


MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS. 


7. of the woman Daliya for the price 

8. of one half mana of silver bought. 

9. The sale was complete and she gave 

10. that girl 

11. for the price she was bought, 

12. and judgment was given 

13. not to alter, which in. 

[Several lines lost here containing the names of 
the witnesses.] 

[Date.] 

• a. Month Sebat, 22nd day 

b. eponymy of Sennacherib king of Assyria. 

Some of the syllabaries and bilingual lists in the 
new collection are of great value to students, but it 
is impossible to exhibit them properly in a work like 
the present without the cuneiform characters. Two 
of these include explanations of the ancient names 
of some of the capitals of Assyria and Babylonia; 
another explains the names of the various guards 
and watches, and the signs for classes of men. 
Another is the syllabary in four columns which I 
have before mentioned, p. 101. Among numerous 
other signs, it gives the following values of one 
which is usually read im :— 

1. Pu-luh-tu, fear. 

2. Ra-ma-nu, self. 

3. E-mu-qu, power. 

4. Zu-um-ru, back or skin. 

5. Sa-mu, heaven. 

6. Ir-zi-tu, earth. 



MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS . 


419 


7. A-hu-u, brother. 

8. Di-du, friend. 

9. Sa-a-ru, wind. 

10. Zu-un-nu, rain. 

11. Dup-pu, tablet. 

Many inscriptions of this class, and others similar 
to those in this chapter, are not yet copied or trans¬ 
lated, and further work on this part of the collection 
will, without doubt, reveal new and important texts. 




Chapter XXI. 

FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS. 

Baghdad lion.—Egyptian monarch.—Ra-set-nub or Saites.— 
Founder of Shepherd power.—Tablet of Rameses.—Date of 
monument.—Hyksos.—Expelled by Amosis.—Worship of Set. 
—Type of Lion.—Hamath inscription.—Seals at Nineveh.— 
Cypriote inscription.— Phoenician texts.—Contract tablets.— 
Pehlevi inscriptions.—Later texts.—Nisibin.—Destruction of 
monuments. 


ESIDE the cuneiform inscriptions found 
in the Euphrates valley, I found or saw 
several inscriptions in other characters. 
One of these is an hieroglyphic inscrip¬ 
tion on a stone lion. This lion was discovered some 
years ago in an excavation at Baghdad, and a copy of 
the inscription upon it was published in “La Reli¬ 
gion des Pr4-Isrhelites, Recherches sur le Dieu Seth,” 
by W. Pleyte, plate i. figs. 9 and 10. 

I saw this antiquity when I was at Baghdad and 
purchased it for the British Museum. The lion is 
sitting down with the front legs stretched out, and 





FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS. 


421 


the inscription containing the name and title of one 
of the Egyptian monarchs is carved on the breast. 
The royal name is read by Dr. Birch, Ra-set-nub. 
Ra-set-nub is the monarch called Saites by Manetho, 
who relates that he was the leader of the Hyksos, a 
foreign shepherd race who invaded Egypt and con¬ 
quered all the lower part of the country. Ra-set-nub, 
or Saites, is mentioned on a tablet of Rameses II. 
king of Egypt, about b.c. 1300. Rameses relates 
that it was then 400 years after the era of Ra-set-nub, 
which would give about B.c. 1700 for the conquest of 
Egypt by the shepherd race, and this will, conse¬ 
quently, be the date of the lion. 

The Hyksos are supposed to have been a Phoeni¬ 
cian or Arabian race; they held the country until 
they were expelled by Amosis, an Egyptian prince 
who restored the native rule about b.c. 1500. The 
Hyksos worshipped Sut or Set, who is identified 
with Baal, instead of the supreme gods of the Egyp¬ 
tians, and the name of Set forms one of the elements 
in the cartouch of the monarch in whose reign the 
lion was carved. The feelings of the Egyptians 
against the foreigners on religious grounds were 
very strong, and few of their monuments have 
escaped to this day, but those that have been dis¬ 
covered show a peculiar type and style of art dif¬ 
ferent to those of the native Egyptian periods. In 
style this lion resembles the other known works of 
the shepherd period, the character of the sculpture 
closely according with the inscription. It is pro- 


422 


FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS. 


bable that this lion was removed from one of the 
Egyptian temples during the period of Nebuchad¬ 
nezzar’s conquest of that country b.c. 572, as it was 
the custom at that time to carry away monuments as 
trophies of victory. 

Another hieroglyphic inscription which I saw at 
Aleppo is a new text in the so-called Hamath cha¬ 
racter. As yet very few texts have been found in 
this strange form of writing, and nothing whatever is 
known of the meaning of the inscriptions. Almost 
all the previous inscriptions of this class have been 
found at Hamath, and from this cause they have been 
provisionally called u Hamath inscriptions,” but it is 
evident from the other specimens found that these 
characters were by no means confined to that locality. 
The characters are evidently hieroglyphic, but totally 
different to the hieroglyphics of Egypt. They con¬ 
tain representations of human figures, hands, boots> 
heads, fishes, trees, and various other signs. The 
race which used these hieroglyphics must have been 
spread over a large area in Syria, but which of the 
peoples who inhabited these regions were the authors 
of the inscriptions we are at present quite unable to 
say. The text which I found at Aleppo is on a black 
oblong stone, built into the wall of an old mosque 
now in ruins. The inscription is in two lines, the 
character in relief, closely resembling the specimens 
from Hamath. 

It is a curious fact that among the seals found by 
Mr. Layard in the palace of Sennacherib were some 


FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS . 423 

inscribed with Hamath characters (see “Early Sas- 
sanian Inscriptions,” by Edward Thomas, pp. 7 and 8), 
showing the use of these hieroglyphics during the 
Assyrian period, but the larger stone inscriptions 
appear older in style than the seals. Some scholars 
have supposed that this writing is connected with 
the Arabic kingdom, which was contemporary with 
the Assyrian empire, and attempts have been made 
to identify the names on the seals, but it is evident that 
the localities where the stone inscriptions are found 
are not within the limits of the Arabic kingdom ; 
Hamath, Antioch, and Aleppo are all in Syria. 

Among the antiquities which I discovered in the 
north palace at Kouyunjik, the residence of Assur- 
banipal, were several objects which appeared to have 
come from Cyprus, and one of these had three 
Cypriote characters upon it. 

This object is in the shape of 
a truncated cone with four 
sides, the characters being 
scratched on one of the faces. 

There is a hole for suspension, 
and the object appears to have been a curtain weight 
or something of that sort. Such objects are very 
common, but seldom marked with any characters. 
The principal of the foreign texts found in the 
Assyrian and Babylonian mounds are Phoenician, 
and are contemporary with the cuneiform inscrip¬ 
tions, and often found as dockets to the contract 
tablets of that period. 



Object with Cypriote 
Characters. 


424 


FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS . 


The oldest Phoenician insertions I found belonged 
to the period of the dynasty of Sargon, who reigned 
from b.c. 722 to 609, and they came from the library 
of the south-west palace at Kouyunjik, the building 
raised by Sennacherib. The first of these is on an 
oblong tablet of dark clay inscribed on the front and 
back with cuneiform characters. It forms a contract 
between some persons of the poorer class, the parties 
not even possessing seals, but, after the custom of the 
country among the lower ranks of the population, 
impressing their finger nails on the document instead. 
The contract is with respect to a field the owner of 
which bore the name Ilu-malek. Ilu-malek sold this 
field, which measured 30 omers in extent, to a man 
named Mannu-ki- .... the price being 11 shekels of 
silver (about 6 oz.) The date is unfortunately 
wanting, but it probably belongs to the seventh cen¬ 
tury B.c. The Phoenician legend is beautifully incised 
along the • edge of the tablet, and is very sharp and 
clear. Transcribed into Hebrew letters it reads 
3 ?did * pn« * 'f 4 ‘jVdVn • rm 

The words are divided by dots and the meaning of 
the inscription is clear, 
rui is the word for “ sale.” 

Almalak, is the proper name of the owner, 
answering to the Ilu-malak of the cuneiform text. 

n is a particle meaning u this ” or “ the,” here to 
be rendered “ of the.” 

?' in, a “ field,” this word is used for u earth” in Jer. 
x. 10. 



FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS. 


425 


3»» means “cultivated.” Castelli translates this root 
“demersus.” The meaning of the inscription will thus 
be: a The sale by Almalak of the cultivated field”—^ 
exactly agreeing with the statement of the cunei¬ 
form inscription on the tablet. The second of these 
inscriptions is obscure. It is on a beautiful conical 
shaped tablet, perfect, and inscribed with a cuneiform 
legend recording the sale of thirty omers of barley. 
There is a hole in the base of the tablet through 
which a cord appears to have been passed to fasten 
round the mouth of the sack containing the grain. On 
one side are impressions of a seal, and also along the 
edge and at the base, with a Phoenician legend. The 
date of the document is “ Month Marchesvan, 17th 
day, in the eponymy of Mannu-ki-sari, otficer of the 
king,” about b.c. 665. 

The Phoenician legend on the base in Hebrew 
letters reads: 

tnifTOp. Here the first part rm>p is obscure. The 
second mow is the name of barley. 

On the side of the tablet the legend is 

10 + 20: here are two numbers which to¬ 
gether make 30, the number of the omers of barley; 
but the meaning of the following letters is altogether 
uncertain, the v may be the initial letter of the word 
“ omers” and may possibly be used as a contraction 
for that word, and the last letters m look like the end 
of the name Nabu-duri, which belongs to one of the 
contracting parties. Perhaps r vn Naduri is used for 
Nabu-duri, and omitting the opening characters per- 


426 


FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS. 


haps we may read: “ .... the barley 30 o(mers) of 
Na (bu)duri.” 

From the same locality I procured part of a longer 
text in Phoenician, a small part only of which is 
legible, in Hebrew letters it is 

1 . . . . Vjn. 2 ... . 'lyj ... 3 .... id. 

From the ruins of Babylon I brought copies of two 
Phoenician inscriptions on bricks probably belonging 
to the sixth century b.c. the first of which is : 

pvinr apparently a proper name and the second in 
the same style reads: Vzrp Beside these I saw at 
Aleppo a Phoenician inscription on a seal. There is 
a figure of a boar in the centre and a line of inscrip¬ 
tion above and below. The characters are not very 
certain, but appear to be,— 

1. IHDdVd 2. TpDDK 

Here the first line may be the proper name of the 
owner of the seal, Melek-satur, and the second the 
title of the individual, rpD is used in the Bible for 
an officer, overseer, or judge. This seal is the pro¬ 
perty of the Russian consul at Aleppo, who kindly 
allowed me to take an impression of it. 

In the various alphabets current in the East after 
the fall of the Persian empire, I found several in¬ 
scriptions. Most of these were in Pehlevi, a mode 
of writing derived from the Phoenician, and used in 
the East during the period of the Roman empire. 

The principal Pehlevi inscriptions which I copied, 

or brought from Asiatic Turkey, are:_ 

I. An inscription in four lines on a circular pillar 



FOREIGN INSCRIPTIONS. 


427 


now standing in the courtyard of the fort erected by 
the Turks on the north mound of Kalah Shergat. 

II. An inscription on a column in the citadel at 
Orfa. 

III. An inscription on a circular ornament with 
figures round it, like the signs of the zodiac. 

IY. An inscription painted on a flat fragment of 
bone discovered in the palace of Sennacherib at 
Kouyunjik. 

Y. An inscription scratched on flat fragments of 
baked clay from the same locality. 

The two last are in the new collection. 

Greek, Roman, and Arabic inscriptions were also 
found in various places, but these were out of the 
limits of my researches, and I copied very few of 
them. I may, however, notice that there appears to 
be a rich store of inscriptions of all ages at Nisibin, 
and the natives were digging into the mounds there 
for stones when I passed. Large blocks, broken 
into fragments, covered with fine Latin inscriptions, 
were turned up; but as there was no one to look 
after them, I believe they will all be destroyed. 

The Turkish officials, while always ready to oppose 
researches and prevent the discovery or removal of 
monuments, never hinder the natives from destroying 
antiquities. 



Chapter XXII. 

OBJECTS ILLUSTRATING ARTS AND CUSTOMS. 

Larger sculptures already discovered.—Hand in wall.—Lin¬ 
tel.—Head of Ishtar.—Shoulder of statue.—Winged bull.— 
Assyrian columns.—Crystal throne.—Crystal vase.—Name of 
Sennacherib.—Lamps.—Lamp feeder.—Assyrian fork.—Glass. 
—Roman bottle.—Glass seal. — Pottery.—Cypriote style.— 
Chariot group.—Commerce.—Personal ornaments.—Rings.— 
Beads.—Seals.—Later occupation of mound.—Destruction of 
antiquities. 


MONG the things now brought from the 
Assyrian mounds there is a fair collec¬ 
tion of new objects and types, throwing 
new light on the customs of Assyria 
and the advancement of the country in arts and 
sciences. 

During the former excavations, most of the sculp¬ 
tured halls at Kouyunjik and Nimroud had been 
discovered, and my excavations were undertaken in 
the centres of the rooms and the minor portions of 
the buildings, so that I had no opportunity of dis¬ 
covering large sculptures or portals, and the rooms I 



OBJECTS ILLUSTRATING ARTS . 


429 



Model op Hand 


discovered in the domestic parts of the palaces were 
bare of sculpture and inferior in ornamentation. At 
Nimroud I found the position of those curious rude 
models of hands which were placed 
in the walls fist upwards, their object 
was probably to preserve the place 
against evil spirits. The inscription 
on one I found reads— 

1. Palace of Assur-nazir-pal, king 
of nations, king of Assyria. 

2. Son of Tugulti-ninip, king of 
nations, king of Assyria. 

3. Son of "V ul-nirari, king of nations, pound in Wall. 
king of Assyria. 

Assur-nazir-pal, b.c. 885, built the north-west 
palace at Nimroud. In the southern hall of the 
south-west palace, Kouyunjik, which is of the 
age of Sennacherib, b.c. 705, I discovered the 
lintel of a door which appeared to have covered 
one of the passages out of the hall. It was pro¬ 
bably the custom of the Assyrians to construct the 
lintels and roofs of wood, and they have all been 
destroyed, but this one, spanning a narrow passage, 
was made of stone, and to this fact we probably 
owe its preservation. It had fallen from its original 
position, and lay broken into two on the floor of 
the hall. This lintel gives us our first satisfactory 
evidence as to the ornamentation of the tops of 
entrances in the palace. The stone is 6 ft. long and 
10 inches deep; the principal ornament consists of two 


430 


OBJECTS ILLUSTRATING 


dragons lengthened out to suit the positions; they 
have wings over the back, and long curved necks. 
Each animal looks towards the centre of the lintel, 
where there stands a vase with two handles. All 
along the top over the vase and dragons is an orna¬ 
ment of honeysuckles, and above this a plain pro¬ 
jecting ledge. The lintel is somewhat worn by the 
weather, but was originally roughly and boldly 
carved to suit its height from the ground. Of 
statues I only found fragments, but two of these are 
curious. One is the head of a female divinity, 
probably the Venus of Nineveh. The cheeks are 
plump, there is a band or fillet round the forehead, 
the hair is thrown back behind the ears, and 
falls in masses of curls on the shoulders. The 
statue to which this has belonged has been broken 
up, and the nose and lips injured. The height of 
the head is 9 inches, and the breadth of the face 54- 
inches. The second specimen is a fragment of a 
colossal statue belonging to the period of Assur- 
banipal. It is the left shoulder of a figure, made of 
a black stone full of fossils. There is an inscription 
on the back of the statue, giving the descent of 
Assurbanipal from Esarhaddon, Sennacherib, and 
Sargon. I discovered some remains of two black 
obelisks carved with bands of sculpture and cunei¬ 
form writing, but unfortunately, like the statues, 
broken into fragments. I conjecture that one of the 
obelisks belonged to Samsi-vul, king of Assyria, b.c. 
825. A very curious and beautiful little specimen, 


ARTS AND CUSTOMS. 


431 


discovered at Kouyunjik, is a small model in fine 
yellow stone of a winged cow or bull, with a 
human head, the neck adorned with a necklace, the 
head surmounted by a cylindrical cap adorned with 
horns and rosette ornaments, and wings over the 
back. On the top of the wings stands the base of a 
column, having the uniform pattern found on 
Assyrian bases. The dimensions of this figure are, 
length 3 inches, breadth 11 inches, present height 
(feet broken off) 3 inches, probable original height 
31 inches, height of base of column f inch, diameter 
of base of column 1| inches. This figure, although 
not precisely like them, reminds one strongly of 
the colossal winged man-headed bulls at the sides 
of Assyrian portals; it has probably formed part 
of an ornamental chair or couch, the pillars and 
legs of such furniture sometimes resting on the 
backs of animals. The disposition of columns over 
the backs of animals is in accordance with the known 
features of Assyrian architecture, as represented on 
the sculptures. At the ruined entrance of the north 
palace, Kouyunjik, I found two bases of columns. The 
pedestals were 14 inches by 10 inches and 3 inches 
high. Over these the circular work was 8| inches in 
diameter, with a flat circle to receive the column, the 
total height of base and pedestal being 8 inches. The 
furniture of the royal palace appears to have been 
very magnificent, skilful in execution, and often of 
valuable or beautiful material. Thrones and frag¬ 
ments of thrones have been found in bronze and 


432 


OBJECTS ILLUSTRATING 


ivory, and during my excavations in Sennacherib’s 
palace I discovered several portions of a throne of 
rock crystal. This, so far as preserved, was similar 
in shape to the bronze throne, and beautifully turned 
and polished. As the crystal throne is too frag¬ 
mentary to copy, I here give an engraving of the 
bronze throne found by Layard at Nimroud, to show 



Bronze Throne, 

Discovered by Mr. Layard at Nimroud. 


the shape of these objects. Accompanying this were 
fragments of vases and cups in the same material, one of 
them bearing the name of Sennacherib in cuneiform 
characters. In my collection there are several lamps ; 
but I have no satisfactory evidence that they are 
Assyrian. Some of them are Roman, but one or 
two appear Assyrian in style, and I believe belong 



ARTS AND CUSTOMS. 


433 


to the time of that empire. There is one curious 
Assyrian object of this class, a lamp-feeder in the 
shape of a sitting bird. There is a curious neck over 
the back, through which it was filled with oil, and a 



Terra-cotta Lamp. Terra-cotta Lamp Feeder. 


beak in front of the breast, through which it dis¬ 
charged it into the lamp. I found two of these 
objects in the palace of Assurbanipal, one I brought 
to England, the other I gave to the Imperial 
Museum at Constantinople. One curious and unique 
specimen in the new collection is a bronze fork to 
which I have already called attention (p. 147); it is 
entirely Assyrian in style and ornament, and of very 
fine work. The end of the handle is terminated by 
the head of an ass, the ears stretched out and lying 
one on each side of the handle. This termination 
in the head of an animal is a feature seen in the 
Assyrian representations of ornamental implements. 
The handle of the fork is ornamented with a spiral 
cable ornament, and it expands ajid becomes flat¬ 
tened out at its junction with the prongs, forming a 


F F 


434 


OBJECTS ILLUSTRATING 


shoulder which is ornamented by small incised 
circles, and a fringe of lines. The length of the fork 
is 8 in., the breadth of the shoulder Jin., and the length 
of the prongs 2\ in. This fork was found in the long 
gallery of the palace of Sennacherib, 
among the clay tablets on the floor. 
There are several other bronze orna¬ 
ments and implements, including a 
bronze bracket, bronze dishes and 
ladles, and a specimen of the styles 
with which the cuneiform characters 
were inscribed. The glass in the 
collection belongs mostly to the post- 
Assyrian period, but there is one re¬ 
markable exception. This is a paste 
seal in shape of a scarab, with hole 
Bkonze Bracket. pi erce(1 l through it longitudinally; the 
back is oval and the front has the device of the 
royal Assyrian seal, the king killing a rampant 
lion. Most of the figure of the king is, however, 




Bronze Style. 


lost by a fracture. There are several beautiful 
specimens of iridescent glass bottles, including a fine 
blue glass Roman bottle with two faces, one on each 
side of the body. The pottery found in the course 
of the excavation is, as might be expected, very 




ARTS AND CUSTOMS. 


435 


miscellaneous in character: Phoenician, Assyrian, 
Egyptian, Parthian, Persian, and early Arabic are 
all represented in the collection, and some of the 
specimens resemble the Lydian and Cypriote vases. 
From the temple area I obtained part of a chariot 
group in terra cotta similar to the early Cypriote spe¬ 
cimens, the height of the charioteer being 5 in. with¬ 
out the legs, which are lost, and the diameter of the 
wheel 4 in. The extensive commerce of the As¬ 
syrians, and the influence of the empire on distant 
countries, accounts for the mixture of styles in these 
things, many of which may have come by way of 
barter or tribute. 

The number of personal ornaments in the collection 
is small, consisting of beads in gold, silver, and stones, 
bracelets and rings in glass and carnelian, and a 
massive silver ring with an iron die set in it instead 
of a stone. Most of these ornaments are late, belong¬ 
ing to the Greek and some of them to the Arabic 
period; but two carnelian rings, one with an engraving 
of a scorpion, are Assyrian. Clay impressions of 
Assyrian seals are numerous and very fine. They 
include several royal seals, the royal seal of Sargon, 
b.c. 722, the royal seal of Assurbanipal, b.c. 668, 
beside many other specimens. Of other seals there 
are good specimens, among which are impressions of 
the king walking, with attendant behind holding 
umbrella. The miscellaneous objects from the mound 
of Kouyunjik serve evidently to show that Nineveh 
was not abandoned when the Assyrian monarchy was 


436 OBJECTS ILLUSTRATING ARTS. 


destroyed, but that the site continued to be inhabited 
for centuries afterwards, and the later inhabitants 
have in a great measure gradually destroyed the great 
works which their predecessors had raised. 




Chapter XXIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

Difficulty of work.—Short time.— Good results.—Babylonian 
kings.— Assyrian kings. — New inscriptions. — Uncertainty of 
chronology.—Assyrian history.—Jewish history.—Pul.—New 
light on the Bible.—Origin of Babylonian civilization.—Turanian 
race.—Semitic conquest.—Flood legends.— Mythology.—Con¬ 
nection with Grecian mythology.—Astronomy.—Architecture.— 
Importance of future excavations. 

N the previous chapters I have described 
my travels and researches, and have given 
some account of the more prominent 
results of the expeditions. So far as 
my two visits to the East are concerned, they were 
both of such short duration that they could not yield 
such complete or satisfactory results as I could have 
wished; but the great number of interesting inscrip¬ 
tions I discovered under such difficulties, and in so 
limited a space of time, ought to speak strongly in 
favour of completer and systematic excavations on 
these ancient sites. My excavations at the two sites 
of Kouyunjik and Nimroud, taking out the period I 
was stopped by the Turkish officials altogether did 




438 


CONCLUSION. 


not last four months, but so rich were these mines of 
antiquities that I obtained over 3,000 inscriptions and 
fragments of inscriptions, beside many other objects. 
These inscriptions and objects were not of slight 
interest, but included some texts and antiquities of 
first-class importance. In one great and valuable 
direction the expeditions have been quite successful, 
the majority of the fragments of inscriptions found 
form parts of texts the other portions of which were 
already in the British Museum, and the new fragments 
enable us either to complete or greatly enlarge several 
of these inscriptions. 

Perhaps in no part of cuneiform enquiry have the 
late researches added more to our knowledge than in 
early Babylonian history. The list of monarchs in 
the second edition of Rawlinson’s “Ancient Mon¬ 
archies,” published in 1871, after I had commenced 
my researches, only then contained twenty-eight kings 
from the inscriptions in the period before b. c. 747. 1 
From B.c. 747 downwards the kings were well known 
from the canon of Ptolemy and other sources. As I 
have not yet published any complete list of the 
Babylonian and Assyrian monarchs, I will here give 
them so far as they are discovered, to show the advance 
made in the history and chronology of these early 
kingdoms. 

List of Babylonian monarchs :— 


See Rawlinson’s “Ancient Monarchies,” second edition, 
vol. i. p. 171, and vol. iii. p. 43. 




CONCLUSION . 


439 


Mythical Kings before the Flood. 

From Berosus 
Alorus 


From the Inscriptions . 

Adi-ur 


Ubara-tutu 

Hasis-adra 


Alaparus 

Almelon 

Ammenon 

Amegalarus 

Daonus 

Aedorachus 

Amempsin 

Otiartes 

Xisithrus 


In whose time the deluge happened. 


Mythical Kings after the Deluge. 
From Berosus . 

Evechus. 

Chomosbelus. 

From the Inscriptions. 

.ili. 

Ilu-kassat his son. 

Bel-agu-nunna. 

Abil-kisu. 


Historical Period. 

Izdubar (probably tbe Nimrod of the Bible). 


Kings of Babylon. 


Suqumuna. 










440 


CONCLUSION. 


Ummih-zirritu. 

Agu-rabi. 

Abi. 

Tassi-gurubar. 

Agu-kak-rimi (restored the temple of Bel). 

Sumu. 

Zabu (built the temples of Yenus and the sun at 
Sippara). 

Abil. 

Sin. 

Viceroys . 

Be-huk ) . 

. . . . } viceroys of Endu. 

Mi-sa-dimira-kalammi J 


Idadu viceroy of Eridu, 

Adi-anu viceroy of Zerghul, 

Gudea viceroy of Zerghul, 

Ilu-mutabil viceroy of Diri. 


Kings of Ur (modern Mugheir). 
Urukh (founded many temples). 

Dungi his son (continued his works) . 

Gunguna son of Ismi-dagan king of Karak. 











CONCLUSION. 


441 


Su-agu. 

Amar-agu (built the city of Abu-Shahrein). 
Ibil-agu. 

Kings of Karr oik. 

Gamil-ninip built a temple at Nipur. 

Isbi-barra. 

Libit-armnit. 

Ismi-dagan built a palace at Ur. 

Ilu-. . . zat. 

Kings of Erech (modern Warka). 
Belat-sunat (a queen). 

Sin-gasit rebuilt the temple of Anna. 

Kings of Larsa (modern Seukereh). 

Nur-vul. 

Gasin. 

Sin-idina. 

Eim-agu son of Ivudur-mabuk. 

Kings of Akkad. 

Ai. 

Amat-nim. 

Sargon (the Babylonian Moses, reigned 45 years). 
Naram-sin his son. 

Ellat-gula (a female). 

Elamite Kings. 

Kudur-nanhundi (reigned b.c. 2280). 
Chedorlaomer (Genesis ch. xiv.) 

Simti-silhak. 

Kudur-mabuk his son conquered Syria. 





442 


CONCLUSION . 


Native Kings Contemporary with the Elamites . 

. . . . zakir-idin ) T . 

o t i . c In time of Kudur-nanhundi. 

Bel-zakir-uzur ) 


Amraphel king of Shinafl In time of 
Arioch king of Elassar / Chedorlaomer 
Tidal king of Goim J (Genesis). 

Kings of Babylon. 

Hammu-rabi (conquered Kudur-mabuk and his son) 
Samsu-itibna rebuilt temple of Babylon. 
Ammi-dikaga. 

Kuri-galzu I. 

Simmas-sihu I. 

Ulam-buriyas. 

Nazi-murudas I. 

Mili-sihu I. 

Burna-buriyas I. 

Kara-bel. j 


) 16th century b.c. 


Saga-saltiyas (rebuilt the temples of Sippara). 
Harbi-sihu. 


Kari-indas, b.c. 1450 (made a treaty with Assyria). 
# Burna-buriyas II., b.c. 1430 (married daughter of 
king of Assyria). 

Kara-hardas, b.c. 1410 (murdered). 

Nazi-bugas, b.c. 1400 (an usurper). 

Kuri-galzu II., b.c. 1380, son of Burna-buriyas. 




CONCLUSION. 


443 


Mili-sihu II. his son, b.c. 1350. 

Merodach Baladan I. his son, b.c. 1325. 
Nazi-murudas II., b.c. 1300. 

Assyrian Dynasty . 

Tugulti-ninip, b.c. 1271 (conquered Babylonia). 
Vul . . . bi, b.c. 1230. 

Zamama-zakir-idin, b.c. 1200. 

Chaldean Kings . 

Nebuchadnezzar I., b.c. 1150. 

Ivara-buriyas, b.c. 1120. 

Maruduk-nadin-ahi, b.c. 1100. 
Maruduk-sapik-zirrat, b.c. 1090. 

. . , . sadua, b.c. 1080. 

Simmas-sihu, reigned 17 years. 

Hea-mukin-ziri (an usurper), reigned 3 months. 
Kassu-nadin-ahu, reigned 6 years. 
Ulbar-surki-idina, reigned 15 years. 

Nebu?-chadnezzar II., reigned 2 years. 

.... suqamuna, reigned 3 months. 

(After these an Elamite, reigned 6 years.) 

Vul-pal-idina (built the wall of Nipur). 

Nabu-zakir-iskun at war with Assyria. 

Iriba-maruduk. 

Merodach Baladan II. his son. 

Vul-zakir-uzur. 


444 


CONCLUSION . 


Sibir invaded South Assyria. 

Nabu-bal-idina, b.c. 880 to 853. 
Maruduk-zakir-izkur, b.c. 853. 
Maruduk-balasu-ikbu, b.c. 820. 


Nabu-nazir (Nabonassur), b.c. 747. 

Nabu-usabsi (Nabius), b.c. 734. 

Kin-ziru (Chinzirus), b.c. 732. 

Ilulaeus (not in the inscriptions), b.c. 727. 
Merodach Baladan III. (Mardokembad), b.c. 722. 
Sargon (Arceanus), b.c. 710. 

Hagisa (not in the inscriptions), b.c. 705. - 
Merodach Baladan III. (restored), b.c. 705. 
Bel-ibni (Behbus), b.c. 703. 

Assur-nadin-sum (Apronadissus), b.c. 700. 
Irregibelus (not in the inscriptions), b.c. 694. 
Suzub (Messesimordachus?), b.c. 693. 

(Babylon destroyed, b.c. 689.) 

Esarhaddon, restores Babylon b.c. 681. 
Saul-mugina (Saosduchinus), b.c. 668. ... 
Assurbanipal (Chiniladanus?), b.c. 648. 
Bel-zakir-iskun, b.c. 626. 

Nabu-pal-uzur (Nabopolassar), b.c. 626. 
Nabu-kudur-uzur (Nebuchadnezzar IIL), .b.c, 605. 
Amil-maruduk (Evil-merodach), b.c. 562. 
Nergal-sar-uzur (Neriglissar), b.c. 560. 
Ulbar-surki-idina (Labarosoarkodus?), b.c. 556. 
Nabu-nahid (Nabonidus), b.c. 556. 





CONCLUSION. 


445 


Bel-sar-uzur (Belshazzar) son of Nabonidus, asso¬ 
ciated with his father on the throne. 

Cyrus conquers Babylon, B.c. 539. 

In the period before Hammurabi there were several 
different. kingdoms in the country, and it was only 
occasionally that Babylonia was united under one 
sceptre. 

List of the Assyrian Kings with their Approx¬ 
imate Dates . 


Ismi-dagan 

b.c. 1850 to 1820. 

Samsi-vul I. 

„ 1820 „ 1800. 

Igur-kap-kapu 

| about b.c. 1800. 

Samsi-vul II. 


Ilu-ba 

> about b.c. 1750. 

Iritak 

i 

Bel-kap-kapu 

about b.c. 1700. 

Adasi 

1 about b.c. 1650. 

Bel-bani 

i 

Assur-zakir-esir 

. 1 about B.c. 1600. 

Ninip-tugul-assun J 

Iriba-vul 

{■about b.c. 1550. 

Assur-nadin-ahi 

J 

Assur-nirari I. 

1 about b.c. 1500. 

Nabu-dan 

i 

Assur-bel-nisisu 

b.c. 1450 to 1420. 

Buzur-assur 

„ 1420 „ 1400. 

Assur-ubalid 

„ 1400 „ 1370. 

Bel-nirari 

„ 1370 „ 1350. 

Budil 

„ 1350 „ 1330. 


446 


CONCLUSION. 


Vul-nirari I. 
Shalmaneser I. 
Tugulti-ninip I. 
Bel-kudur-uzur 
Ninip-pal-esar 
Assur-dan I. 
Mugtagil-nusku 
Assur-risilim 
Tiglath-Pileser I. 
Assur-bel-kala 
Samsi-vul III. 
Assur-rab-amar 
or 

Assur-rabbur 
-nimati 
Assur-dan II. 
Vul-nirari II. 
Tugulti-ninip II. 
Assur-nazir-pal 
Shalmaneser II. 
Assur-dain-pal 
Samsi-vul IV. 
Vul-nirari III. 
Shalmaneser III. 
Assur-dan III, 
Assur-nirari II. 
Tiglath-Pileser II. 
Shalmaneser IV. 
Sargon 
Sennacherib 


b.c. 1330 to 1300. 
„ 1300 „ 1271. 
„ 1271 „ 1240. 
„ 1240 „ 1220. 
„ 1220 „ 1200. 
„ 1200 „ 1170. 
„ 1170 „ 1150. 
„ 1150 „ 1120. 
„ 1120 „ 1100. 
„ 1100 „ 1080. 
„ 1080 „ 1060. 

about b.c. 1050. 

about b.c. 1000. 
b.c. 930 to 913. 
„ 913 „ 891. 
„ 891 „ 885. 
„ 885 „ 860. 


b.c. 825 to 812. 
„ 812 „ 783. 
„ 783 „ 773. 
„ 773 „ 755. 
„ 755 „ 745. 
„ 745 „ 727. 
» 727 „ 722. 
„ 722 „ 705. 
„ 705 „ 681. 


860 „ 825. 
(rebel king) b.c. 827. 


CONCLUSION. 


44 7 


Esarhaddon 

b.c. 681 to 668. 

Assur-bani-pal 

„ 668 „ 

626. 

Bel- zakir-iskun 

„ 626 „ 

620. 

Assur-ebil-ili 

» 620,, 

607. 


In the period of early Babylonian history the new 
inscriptions of Agu, Merodach Baladan I., and other 
monarchs, enable us to extend our knowledge in this 
direction, but an inspection of the list of kings given 
above shows how defective our information still re¬ 
mains on this subject. It is quite uncertain how far 
back the records of Babylonia reach, and the lists of 
kings are too imperfect to construct any satisfactory 
scheme from them; but it is certain that they reach 
up to the twenty-fourth century b.c., and some scholars 
are of opinion that they stretch nearly two thousand 
years beyond that time. Certainly a civilization, 
literature, and government like that which we find in 
Babylonia 2,000 years before the Christian era could 
not have arisen in a day, and it will probably require 
many expeditions to the country before we ascertain 
its primitive history. 

The early history of Assyria is in little better con¬ 
dition than that of Babylonia, but the succession of 
the kings is clearer and the information fuller. The 
Assyrian power was a single monarchy from the 
beginning, and gradually grew by conquering the 
smaller states around it, and there is consequently a 
uniformity in its records and traditions which makes 
them easier to follow than those of the sister kingdom. 
The new inscriptions, particularly that of Vul-nirari I., 


448 


CONCLUSION. 


give us new and welcome material for estimating the 
progress of Assyria in early times, and it appears that 
the country gained a prominent place in the world 
much earlier than some have supposed. 

The period of Assyrian history contemporary with 
the kings of Judah and Israel is the most interesting 
and important epoch in their annals, and new and 
valuable material has been added to this part of the 
subject, the additions and corrections to the history 
of Tiglath-Pileser, the new portions of the annals of 
Sargon, giving his campaign against Ashdod and 
Palestine, the Sennacherib fragments, Esarhaddoifs 
Egyptian and Syrian wars, the new texts of Assur- 
banipal mentioning Sabako, and the fragments of his 
successors, all help in this interesting but still in part 
obscure portion of Assyrian history. 

On one much debated point, the comparative chro¬ 
nology of the Assyrian and Jewish kingdoms, the 
recent expeditions have added nothing to what we 
already know. The most remarkable circumstance in 
the whole matter is the fact that the Assyrian king 
Pul who first reduced the kingdom of Israel under 
regular taxation has never been discovered; this is 
the more curious as despatches have been found 
written by an officer who bore that name. One of 
the letters from the Assyrian officer Pul is in the 
new collection. The light already thrown by the 
Assyrian inscriptions on Biblical history forms one 
of the most interesting features in cuneiform inquiry, 
and there can be no question that further researches 


CONCLUSION. 


449 


will settle many of the questions still in doubt, and 
give us new information in this field, of an important 
character. 

Of the later Babylonian period, the time of Nebu¬ 
chadnezzar and his successors, there are a few new 
dated documents and some useful inscriptions of the 
same sort belonging to the succeeding Persian empire; 
but the most valuable of the later inscriptions is the 
one which fixes the date of the rise of the Parthian 
empire, so long a point of doubt among chronologists. 

Intimately connected with these historical studies 
is the question of the origin and history of the great 
Turanian race which first established civilization in 
the Euphrates valley. It is the opinion of the ma¬ 
jority of Assyrian scholars that the civilization, 
literature, mythology, and science of Babylonia and 
Assyria, were not the work of a Semitic race, but of a 
totally different people, speaking a language quite 
distinct from that of all the Semitic tribes. There is, 
however, a more remarkable point than this; it is 
supposed that at a very early period the Akkad or 
Turanian population, with its high cultivation and 
remarkable civilization, was conquered by the Semitic 
race, and that the conquerors imposed only their 
language on the conquered, adopting from the sub¬ 
jugated people its mythology, laws, literature, and 
almost every art of civilization. Such a curious 
revolution would be without parallel in the history of 
the world, and the most singular point in connection 
with the subject is the entire silence of the inscriptions 
G G 


45.0 


CONCLUSION. 


as to any such conquest. There does not appear any 
break in their traditions or change in the character of 
the country to mark this great revolution, and the 
question of how the change was effected or when it 
took place is at present quite obscure. The new 
syllabaries and bilingual tablets will assist in the 
discussion of these obscure and intricate questions, 
but we cannot hope that they will be settled until the 
study of the inscriptions is much further advanced. 

On the subject of the myths and traditions current 
in the Euphrates valley, there is valuable new matter 
from the recent excavations. The most interesting of 
these legends, that of the flood, is now much more 
complete. A comparison of my first translation of 
the deluge tablet, made before I started for the East, 
with the new translation published in this volume, 
will show the additions and corrections gained 
through the new matter; and all the other legends 
connected with this tablet have benefited in an equal 
proportion. There is one point which I did not 
allude to in my account of the Izdubar legends, 
namely, the great antiquity claimed in it for the 
principal cities in Babylonia. In a fragment of this 
series of legends which I recently discovered, Izdubar, 
when lamenting the loss of Hea-bani, calls upon the 
principal cities in his dominion to join him in his 
mourning. Among the cities mentioned are Baby¬ 
lon, Cutha, Kisu, Harriskalamma, Erech, Nipur, and 
the list, when complete, evidently contained several 
other names. In the division of mythology there are 


CONCLUSION. 


453 ; 

new tablets of various classes, lists of gods, myths, 
prayers, hymns, and litanies, some that I have trans¬ 
lated here being fair specimens of this class. 

The value of the Assyrian and Babylonian mytho¬ 
logy rests not only on its curiosity as the religious 
system of a great people, but on the fact that here 
we must look, if anywhere, for the origin and expla¬ 
nation of many of the obscure points in the mythology 
of Greece and Rome. It is evident that in every way 
the classical nations of antiquity borrowed far more 
from the valley of the Euphrates than that of the 
Nile, and Chaldea rather than Egypt, is the home 
even of the civilization of Europe. 

In one line of science is the pre-eminence of 
Babylonia universally acknowledged, and that is 
astronomy. 

The climate of the country, and the clearness of 
the atmosphere, with the vast unbroken plain of 
Chaldea, give every facility for the observation of the 
heavens, and here accordingly we find astronomy was 
early cultivated and reached a high state of perfection. 
The Chaldeans mapped out the heavens and arranged 
the stars, they traced the motions of the planets, and 
observed the appearance of comets, they fixed the 
signs of the zodiac and the constellations of the stars, 
and they studied the sun and moon and the periods 
of eclipses. 

Among the new tablets on these points the one re¬ 
cording the division of the heavens according to the 
four seasons, and the rule for regulating the inter- 


452 


CONCLUSION. 


calary month of the year, and the fragment of the 
Assyrian astrolabe, are especially valuable. 

In the other classes of tablets—the fables, the omen 
and witchcraft texts, those on the laws, geography, 
natural history, and the foreign texts—there are many 
additions which will hereafter engage the attention of 
scholars and throw new light on the manners and 
customs of the country. 

Compared with former expeditions the last excava¬ 
tions have given little on the subjects of art and archi¬ 
tecture; but there are some unique objects, particu¬ 
larly the lintel found in Sennacherib’s palace, which 
show us a new and unexpected style of ornamenting 
the upper part of doorways. 

Such are some of the results realized in the recent 
attempt to reopen excavations in the East. Much 
more remains to be accomplished, and I wish that any 
interest which may be taken in my labours may take 
the form of encouraging further and systematic ex¬ 
ploration of this important field. My desire is that 
whatever has been accomplished may be taken as 
evidence of the greater and more important results 
which will inevitably follow complete excavations. 
How much there is to be done may he judged from the 
extent of the excavations on the site of the library of 
the palace of Sennacherib at Kouyunjik. I have cal¬ 
culated that there remain at least 20,000 fragments 
of this valuable collection, buried in the unexcavated 
portions of the palace, and it would require £5,000, 
and three years’ work, to fairly recover this treasure! 



INDEX. 


BDI EFFENDI, 46, 
136,150,151,155. 
Abdul Kareem, 40. 
Abiyateh, 360, 362, 
363, 364, 366, 370. 
Aburumeha, 39. 

Accho, 302, 370. 

Achtareen, 122. 

Achzib, 302. 

Adana, 36, 112, 123. 

Afrin, 30, 115, 120. 

Agu, 225, 232. 

Agurabi, 226. 

Aimu, 360, 362, 366, 370. 

Ain Bada, 29, 115, 120. 

Akhsera of Minni, 333. 

Akkad, 225, 227, 315, 352. 
Aleppo, 31, 114, 320, 162. 
Alexander, 388. 

Alexandretta, 25, 117, 120, 164. 
Ali Rahal, 135, 150. 

Altar, building of, 191. 

Altun Kupri, 67. 

Amaragu, 391. 


Amida, 308. 

Amram mound, 58. 

Amudia, 127, 128. 

Aneiza, tribe, 95. 

Anna, temple of, 356. 

Antioch, plain of, 28, 116. 

Anu, 173, 230,399,400,401, 402. 
Anunit, 173, 230. 

Arabia, 313, 359, 361, 368, 371. 
Arabian kings, 250. 

Aram, 338. 

Arameans, 308. 

Ararat, 217. 

Arbat, 132. 

Arbela, 67, 334, 350. 

Argisti, 309. 

Ark, 185. 

building of, 186. 
filling of, 187. 
size of, 213. 
of Sargon, 224. 

Armenia, 211, 309. 

Army, Turkish, 125. 

Arnold, Edwin, 16. 





454 


INDEX . 


Arsaces, 389. 

Artaxerxes, 388. 

Arvad, 330. 

Ashdod, 288, 289, 290, 292, 293, 
306. 

Assi, 44. 

Assur, 291. 

Assurbanipal, 11, 90, 93, 98, 141, 
317. 

cylinder of, 319-377. 
Assur-bel-kala, 247. 
Assur-dain-pal, 92. 

Assur-dan, 91, 251. 
Assur-ebil-ili-kain, 73, 384. 
Assur-nazir-pal, 72, 91, 103, 141, 
252. 

Assur-risilim, 247. 

Assur-ubalid, 91, 244. 

Assyrian monarcbs, list of, 445-447. 

power, 447. 

Astrolabe, 407, 408. 

Astronomy, 404, 407, 451. 
Athribis, 327. 

Azariah, 12, 275, 286. 

Azibahal, 330, 331. 

Aznowa, 157. 

Babil, 55, 56. 

Babylon, 55, 59, 60, 61, 62, 166, 
339, 340, 344, 376, 396, 410, 
411. 

Babylonian chronology, 120. 
monarchs, list of, 439-445. 
monarchy, antiquity of, 447. 
Backsheesh, 153. 

Baghdad, 53, 54, 64. 


Baghdad lion, 420. 

Bahai of Tyre, 312, 329. 
Barimeh, 99. 

Beglabeg, 32. 

Behistun inscription, 5. 

Beilan, 26, 116, 120. 

Bel, 192,201,230, 339, 399,401 
402, 403. 

temple of, 56, 229, 380. 
Belat or Beltis, 230. 

Belbasa, 336. 

Belesu, 167. 

Bel-kudur-uzur, 250. 

Bellino cylinder, 296. 

Bel-nirari, 236, 244. 

Belshazzar, 387. 

Bel-zazir-iskun, 103, 382, 384. 
Berosus, 209, 211, 403. 

Beth Ammon, 360. 

Biblical account of flood, 208. 
Bilingual list, 418. 
tablet, 143. 
text, 233. 

Biradjik, 33, 114, 122, 161. 

Birds from ark, 217. 

Birs Nimrud, 58, 59. 

Bitani, 172. 

Bit-imbi, 345, 359. 

Black obelisk, 10. 

Borsippa, 338, 340, 396. 

Botta, excavations of, 2, 3. 

works of, 6, 100, 288. 
Brandis, 8. 

Bronze bracket, 434. 
lamp, 140. 
style, 434. 



INDEX. 


455 


Burial of warrior, 204. 

Burial places, 206. 

Burna-buriyas, 236. 

Calah, 70. 

Calendar, 404, 406. 

Cambyses, 387, 388. 

Canon, Assyrian, 5, 120. 

Chaldea, 338, 344. 

Chaldean account of deluge, 165. 
Chaldeans, 308. 

Chamber, 140. 

Chariot group, 435. 

Chief of Durnak, 155, 156. 

Cilicia, 308, 330. 

Cimmerians, 332, 333. 

Circassian soldiers, 128, 157, 160. 
City of ark, 168. 

Clinton, 389. 

Conquest of Erech, 168, 
Conscription, 125. 

Country of Noah, 214. 

Creation, 397. 

Cronos, 211. 

Crystal throne, 432. 

Cure of Izduhar, 194. 

Curse of Ishtar, 174. 

Cutha, 338, 340, 344. 

Cyaxares, 93. 

Cylinder of Sargon, 288. 

Cypriote inscription, 423. 

Cyrus, 387. 

Dabun, 161. 

“ Daily Telegraph,” 14, 15, 97, 

100 . 


Dancing hoy, 129. 

Darius, 388. 

Dashlook, 37, 112. 

Davkina, a goddess, 231. 

Deception, 137. 

Deed of sale, 415, 416. 

Delehekir, 28, 116, 120. 

Delli Abas, 65. 

Deluge, Chaldean account of, 13, 
97, 100, 102. 
end of, 190. 

Demands, Turkish, 138. 

Deruneh, 109, 132. 

Descent into Hades, 220. 
Description of Creation, 222. 
Destruction of North gate, Nineveh, 
151. 

Dinasar, 110, 124. 

Discontent of soldiers, 155. 

Divine hull, 167, 174. 

Djezireh, 42, 43,107, 133, 157. 
Dove, 191. 

Dragon, 170. 

Dream of Heabani, 175. 

Dunanu, 336, 412. 

Dungi, 232. 

Durnak, 155. 

Dyke of Nimrod, 49. 

Early Elamite conquest, 12, 102, 
224. 

Eclipses, 12, 408, 409. 

Edom, 291, 360. 

Egypt, 292, 304, 312, 322, 325, 
328, 329. 
revolt of, 325, 






456 


INDEX. 


Ekron, 304, 306. 

Elam, 335, 338, 340, 354, 355, 
356, 357, 374. 

Elkod, 115. 

Eltekek, 304. 

Engineers, Turkish, 116, 120. 
Entertainment, Arabic, 83, 84. 
Epigraphs, 412. 

Erech, 166, 171, 356. 

Ervi], 67. 

Esarhaddon, 73, 93, 98, 311, 319, 
321, 376, 416. 

Ethiopia, 292, 312, 322, 325, 328, 
329, 338. 

Etna, 19. 

Euphrates, 33, 114, 291, 312. 
Evil-merodach, 386. 

Exorbitant demands, 149. 

Flood, the, 188. 
legend, 450. 
ravages of, 189. 

Floods, 154, 157. 

Fork, Assyrian, 147, 433. 

Franck, M., British Consul, 25, 
117,120,164. 

Furniture, 431. 

Gambuli, 336, 337. 

Gaza, 306. 

Gededa, 65. 

Geography, absence of, 207. 
Gershene, 105. 

Ghost of Heabani, 220. 

Goim, 338. 

Grotefend, 5, 6. 


Guides, abandoned by, 160. 

Gulres, 155. 

Gyges of Lydia, 331. 

Hades, 201, 202. 

Hagub, pastor, 35, 112. 

Hamath inscriptions, 164, 422. 
Hammum Ali, 94, 95. 

Hammurabi, 233, 234. 

Hani, Land of, 228. 

Harimtu, 170, 174. 

Hasisadra, 167, 179, 182. 

Hazel river, 134, 155, 156. 

Hea, the god, 185, 192, 201, 212, 
230, 231, 399, 401, 402, 403. 
Heabani, 167, 170, 175. 
death of, 183. 
resurrection of, 202. 

Head of statue of goddess, 142, 
430. 

Heaven, 203, 205. 

Hell, 205. 

Herbert, Col., 54. 

Hezekiah, 89, 292, 305. 
Hieroglyphics, 422. 

Hillah, 58, 62. 

Hincks, 5, 7. 

Hirom, 274, 278, 287. 

Hosah, 370. 

Hoshea, 12, 285, 287. 
Housebuilding, 81, 82. 

Humbaba, 166, 171. 

Hyksos, 421. 

Hymer, 62. 

Hymn to light, 391, 392. 

Ibrahim, 157. 



INDEX. 


457 


Imperial Museum, Constantinople, 
143,151. 

Inda-bigas, 340, 341, 345, 357. 
Irregular soldiers, 127, 128. 

Ishtar, 91, 171, 172, 334, 350, 
399, 400. 

amours of, 173. 
Istar-nanhundi, 353. 

Izdubar, 14, 167, 394. 

antiquity of legends of, 166. 
founded Babylonian monarchy, 
222 . 

illness of, 176. 
journey of, 178, 180, 181. 
lament of, 177, 199, 200. 
legends of, 14, 165. 
makeshift name, 166. 
probably historical, 222. 
probably Nimrod, 166. 
return of, 196, 197. 
third dream of, 176. 

Izirtu, capital of Minni, 334. 

Jebel Abjad, 44, 105, 106. 

Jebel Djudi, 41, 106, 217. 

Jehu, date of, 11. 

Jerusalem, 305. 

Jewish synchronisms, 448. 

Judah> 291. 

Justice, care of, 410. 

Kalah Shergat, 50, 51, 242. 
Kalata, 99. 

Kalzi, 414. 

Kanun musical instrument, 130. 
Karajah Dagh Mountains, 37. 
Karatapa, 65. 


Karbanit, 323. 

Kasr, 57. 

Kassi, 227, 246, 299. 

Kazekoi, 154. 

Kedar, 361. 

Kerkook, 66. 

Kerook, 157. 

Khabour, 43, 106, 155. 

Khan Baleos, 153. 

Khazil, 159. 

Khorsabad, 98, 99. 

Khosr river, 68. 

Kobuk, 39, 41. 

Korban, Bairam festival, 32. 
Kouyunjik, 86-103, 382. 
Kudur-nanhundi, 206. 

Kufre, 65. 

Kufru, 154. 

Kuri-galzu, 235, 237. 

Lagomer, Elamite god, 353. 
Lamech, 212. 

Lamp feeder, 433. 

Lamps, 432, 433. 
loiter occupation of Nineveh, 139. 
Layard, discoveries of, 4, 6, 70, 71, 
88, 89. 

Lenormant, M., 5, 8. 

Library chamber, 144. 

of Nineveh, 452. 

Lintel, 146, 429. 

Loftus, 4, 6, 13. 

Louvre collection, 16. 

Lydia, 331. 

I Madaktu, 347, 349, 355. 





453 


INDEX. 


Magan, or Makan, 312, 313, 
Magician Arab, 123. 

Mahomedan tomb, 149. 

Manitu, 184. 

Mannians, 308. 

Mannu-ki-ahi, 412. 

Marseilles, 17. 

Median chiefs, 288. 

Memphis, 323, 327. 

Menahem, 278, 286. 

Menant, 5, 8. 

Mendes, 326. 

Merodach, 228,231,291,401,402. 
Merodach Baladan, 236, 237, 256, 
260, 297, 307. 

Meroe, 291, 304. 

Mersina, 25. 

Mili-sihu, 237. 

Minni, 333. 

Mizir, 111. 

Moab, 291, 360. 

Model of hand, 429. 

Modern objects, 146. 

Mosul, 46, 68, 134, 153. 

Mount of ark, 216. 

Mua, 182. 

Mugallu of Tubal, 330. 

Mujelliba, 55. 

Music, Arabic 129, 130. 
Mutaggil-nusku, 91, 251. 

Muzar, 33. 

Mythology, 451. 

Nabateans, 363, 365, 367. 
Nabonidus, 387. 

Nabopolassar, 93, 384. 


Nabu-bel-zikri, 358. 

Nabu-damiq, 412. 

Naharwan, 43, 133. 

Nana goddess, 206, 223, 355. 
National poem, Babylonian, 205. 
Navarino, 20. 

Nazi-bugas, 236. 

Nazi-murudas, 250. 

Nebbi Yunas, 68, 89. 
Nebuchadnezzar, 57, 384, 385. 
Necho, 93, 323, 326. 

Neriglisar, 386. 

New fragments deluge tablets, 166. 
Nimrod, 49. 

Nimroud, 48, 70-85. 

Nineveh, 46, 48, 86, 93,134, 306, 
337. 

Ninip, 192, 339. 

Ninip-uzalli, 412. 

Ninip-pal-esar, 251. 

Nipur, 410, 411. 

Nisibin, 39, 109, 129, 157. 

Nizir, mountains of, 190, 216. 
Norris, Dr., 5, 7. 

Nusku, 401. 

Obelisks, 141, 328. 

Obstructions, Turkish, 47,115,117, 
131, 136, 149, 162, 163. 
Officer, Turkish, 125. 

Okusolderan, 114. 

Oppert, Professor, 5, 7. 

Orfa, 35, 112, 113, 123, 160. 
Otiartes, or Ardates, 212, 

Pacha of Orfa, 160. 



ItiDEX. 


459 


Pahe, Elamite king, 358, 371. 
Palermo, 18. 

Paliya, 412. 

Parthian era, 388, 389, 390. 
Pedestal of column, 431. 

Pehlevi inscriptions, 113, 426, 427. 
Pekah, 12, 285, 286. 

Pelusium, 324. 

Pharaoh, 291. 

Philistia, 289, 291. 

Philistines, 308. 

Phoenician inscriptions, 423, 424, 
425, 426. 

Place, M., 3, 6. 

Pleyte, W., 420. 

Pool of Abraham, 113. 

Pottery, 141. 

Prayer to Bel, 395, 396. 

Primitive state of Babylonia, 166. 
Procession of warriors, 142. 
Proposed canal, 161. 
Psammitichus, 332. 

Pudil, 244. 

Pul, 448. 

Que, 308. 

Baft, 48, 156. 

Bail way, 116. 

Ba-set-nub, Egyptian king, 421. 
Bassam, Mr. H., 4, 13. 

Baven, 191. 

Bawlinson, G., 8, 438, 

Bawlinson, Sir H., 4, 5, 7, 59, 63. 
Bedif Pacha, 136. 

Bestoration of Nineveh, 308. 


Besults of excavations, 437. 
Besurrection of Heabani, 202. ' 
Bezon, 274, 278, 283, 287. 
Bhodes, 24. 

Biduti, palace of, 372, 373, 375. 
Bimagu, 235. 

Bings, 435. 

Bobber, Syrian, 30, 121. 

Bobbery attempted, 158. 

Bock tombs at Orfa, 113. 

Boyal seal, 293. 

Bussian consul at Aleppo, 164. 

Sabako, 318, 327. 

Sabbath, Assyrian, 12. 

Sabitu, 180. 

Sadimatati temple, 245. 

Saduri of Ararat, 372. 

Saggal, temple of, 228. 

Saites, 421. 

Sais, 323, 326, 327. 

Sale of slave, 417. 

Samgunu, 412. 

Samhati, 174. 

Samsi-vul, 91. 

Sargon, 73, 92, 98, 293. 

the Babylonian Moses, 224. 
Sarturda, 175. 

Sassanian vase, 143. 

Saulmugina, 316, 337, 338, 339, 
342, 344. 

Saulcy, De, 8. 

Sayce, 5, 8. 

Schrader, 5, 8. 

Seal of Sargon, 148. 

Seals, 435. 



460 


INDEX. 


Seasons, 404, 405. 

Second expedition, 119. 

Secul, a Babylonian measure, 241. 
Seleucus, 389. 

Semil, 105, 134, 155. 

Semitic conquest, 449. 

Sending out birds, 191. 
Sennacherib, 90, 92, 98, 295, 320, 
343, 346, 376, 414. 
palace of, 144. 

Seven wicked spirits, 398-403. 
Severe weather, 149. 

Shalmaneser I., 72, 91, 140. 
Shalmaneser II., 73, 74, 79, 91, 
141, 252. 

Shamas, 231, 339, 399, 400, 402. 
Shammer revolt, 39, 40. 
Sharabarazi, 157. 

Shepherd kings, 421. 

Shoulder of statue, 430. 

Shushan, 336, 350, 351, 353, 355. 
Siduri, 180. 

Sin, 201, 231, 339, 345, 399, 400, 
401, 402. 

Sippara, 338, 340, 344, 410, 411. 
Skene, Mr., Consul, 31, 162, 163. 
Smyrna, 22, 23. 

Soldiers, Turkish, 30. 

Spoon, 147. 

Stories of Nimrod, 168. 

Storm, 154. 

Style, 147. 

Sumir, 315, 352. 

Superstition, 161. 

Suqamuna, 225, 395. 

Surippak, 185, 212. 


Suzub, 307, 314, 315. 

Syllabaries, 101, 147, 418. 
Synchronous history, 250. 

Syra, 20, 21. 

Syria, 338. 

Swallow, 191. 

Talbot, Mr. F., 5, 7. 

Tammaritu the Elamite, 336, 340, 
341, 342, 345, 347, 348, 353, 
371. 

Tammuz, 173. 

Tanis, 324. 

Tartar post, 133. 

Taylor, Mr., 4. 

Taylor cylinder, 296. 

Tcharmelek, 34,114, 122. 

Tekrit, 52. 

Tel Adas, 45, 105, 154, 155. 

Tel Gauran, 37, 111. 

Tel Ibrahim, 63. 

Tel Karamel, 32, 114. 

Tellibel, 41, 109. 

Temple of Assur, 244. 
of Ishtar, 214. 

Temples, building, 377, 378, 379. 
Termanin, 31. 

Terra-cotta tablets, 147. 

Te-umman the Elamite, 336, 412, 
413. 

Thebes, 324, 328, 329, 376. 
Thomas, E., 423. 

Tiglath Pileser, 9, 73, 74, 92,139, 
253. 

annals of, 254-286. 

Tigris, 42, 107, 153, 291, 312. 




INDEX. 


461 


Tiha, 81. 

Timnah, 304. 

Tirhakah, 311,312, 318,321, 322, 
323, 324, 325. 

Toma, 69, 84, 85. 

Tomazini, Dr., 164. 

Tower of Nimroud, 75, 76, 77. 

Trial by birds, 209. 

Tubal, 330. 

Tugulti-ninip, 91, 140, 249. 
Turanian writing, 233. 

Turanians in Babylonia, 449. 
Turkish policy, 136. 

Turuspa, capital of Armenia, 309. 
Tyre, 312, 329. 

Tyrians, 308. 

Ubaratutu, 177. 

Udder, Arab chief, 81. 

Umbadara, an Elamite, 412. 
Umman-aldas, king qf Elam, 347, 
349, 350, 357, 358, 371. 
Umman-igas, 336, 338, 340, 357. 
Umman-minan, 314. 

Ummih-zirriti, 226. 

Undamane, 318, 327, 376. 

Ur, 232. 

Ur of Chaldees, 233. 

Urhamsi, 181, 195. 

Urukh, 232. 

Yaalli king of Minni, 334. 

Yaiteh king of Arabia, 359, 361, 
363, 366, 369, 371. 

Van, 309. 

Varenshaher, 37, 110, 124. 


Varenshaher, sack of, 159. 

Yul, 399, 402. 

Yul-nirari I., 242, 243. 

Yul-nirari III., 73, 74, 89, 139. 

Wall of Nineveh, 87. 

Warka, 206. 

Waters of death, 181. 

Winged bull, 431. 

Work to be accomplished, 452. 
Works on Cuneiform, 6, 7, 8. 

Xisithrus, 167, 177, 212. 
translated, 210. 

Yahimilki, Tyrian prince, 329. 
Yahuhazi (Ahaz), 263, 286. 
Yakinlu king of Arvad, 330. 
Yakub’s hotel, 26. 

Yavan king of Ashdod, 290, 291. 
Year, 405. 

Yedok, 112. 

Zab, 49, 67. 

Zaccho, 44, 134. 

Zaccho pass, 155. 

Zaidu, 170. 

Zambour, 122. 
Zamama-zakir-idin, 251. 
Zarephath, 302. 

Zibini, 123. 

Zidon, 302. 

Zirat-banit, 228. 

Ziru, 231. 

Zoan, 326. 

Zodiac, 407. 








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